Padawan Found
by colbert-238
Summary: When Barriss Offee is unexpectedly made to train under Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker her entire world it turned on its head. In an adventure that spans every corner of the universe, Barriss will slowly discover not only her own destiny, but her true love.
1. A Shoulder to Cry On

**Chapter One: A Shoulder to Cry On**

_**A Jedi in trouble!, after a rough encounter with Trandoshan hunters during a mission on Felucia Jedi padawan Ahsoka Tano suffers severe mental discomfort. Realizing his words would never get through her master, Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker talks with fellow Jedi Luminara Unduli about his plan to ease his padawans discomfort.**_

"What exactly are you getting at Skywalker?" Master Luminara Unduli led the way through the Jedi temple as they talked.

Anakin ran a nervous hand through his hair, asking for favors wasn't exactly his area of expertise but he wasn't doing this for himself "Master Unduli I've noticed a change in my padawan ever since her experiences on Wasskah, I've tried on several occasions to talk to her but she won't budge"

"yes I read her report, no doubt something like that will stick with the poor girl for some time"

Anakin felt his heart drop for what had to be the hundredth time 'it was my fault, I should have been able to protect her' he shook the thought from his head before turning back to Unduli "as you know our padawans developed a friendship during the retaking of Geonosis, I think some time with Barriss is exactly what Ahsoka needs right now"

"you want Barriss to have a talk with your padawan?"

Anakin shook his head "I don't think one talk, even with Barriss, would be enough to help Ahsoka"

"so we're back were we started, Skywalker I can't help if you don't tell me want you want"

Anakin put a hand out and both Jedi came to a stop "I'd like to...borrow your padawan"

"I'm afraid I don't follow"

"I think if Barriss was too stay with me and Ahsoka for a few weeks, go with us on missions and stay with us in between, she might be able to get through to Ahsoka and find out what's bothering her"

Unduli placed a hand over her mouth as she considered the proposal, after a few minutes she looked back at Anakin "you really believe Barriss can help your padawan?"

"when those two are together I can sense a deep respect between them, if Ahsoka's going to open up to anyone, it's Barriss"

"very well then, I'll inform Barriss and send her to your quarters, just promise me one thing"

"of course"

"don't let her get as head strong as you"

Anakin let a small smirk envelope his face "I can't thank you enough master, and rest assured your padawan is in good hands"

* * *

><p>"I don't understand master, have I done something to upset you?" Barriss reluctantly followed her master towards Anakin's quarters<p>

Luminara let out a dry laugh before turning to her padawan "Barriss I couldn't be more proud of your progress, you should consider this an honor, Skywalker asked for you help personally"

"but you still haven't told me why"

"Skywalker would like some extra help with their next assignments"

"that can't be the only reason, if that was it then why not have master Obi-Wan go with him"

Luminara rubbed her eyes and knelt down to match her padawans gaze "sometimes I think I taught you too much my padawan, alright Skywalker thought it would better if you didn't know but I can see you're not going to cooperate until I tell you"

Barriss shook her head "master I would go along with your orders no matter how much I don't know, I just think I might be of more help if I knew why all this was happening"

"...alright I suppose you do deserve to know, for the past few days Anakin has sensed a change in his padawan Ahsoka Tano, he believes having a friend close by for a while will help her deal with whatever is troubling her"

Barriss couldn't believe her ears, she had just talked with Ahsoka last week and she seemed fine _'if something is troubling her it has to be big, Ahsoka isn't one to let her feelings show so easily'._

Luminara got back to her feet and continued down the hall with Barriss having to switch her thoughts back to the present before running to catch up. Once they reached the door leading into Anakin and Ahsoka's quarters Luminara once again turned to her padawan "for the next few weeks you are to treat Skywalker with the same respect you do me understood?"

"yes master"

"you will address him as your master and follow his every order without hesitation"

"of course master"

with a slight nod Luminara turned to the door and knocked lightly before a voice inside could be heard "come in". As they stepped inside Barriss took a quick glance around, a rather large living room consisted of a black sofa that spanned the entire wall and a large open area facing the large window gave plenty of room for one to meditate.

The living room split into a small kitchen were Anakin sat at a round table typing on a terminal, to the very left Barriss could see a short hallway the had a door on either end. Anakin got up from his seat and bowed to Luminara before looking down at Barriss "Barriss Offee, I assume by now your master has ignored my suggestion and told you why you're here".

Barriss wasn't sure what to say, after a short silence Luminara spoke up "I think given the circumstances letting Barriss understand the situation will help things move more smoothly"

Barriss interjected "if it helps Ahsoka I'm willing to do whatever you ask of me...master"

Anakin raised an eyebrow "that's gonna take some getting used to, alright Barriss we'll get you settled in and I'll tell what I know about the situation before Ahsoka gets back"

"yes master"

* * *

><p>After showing Barriss her cot in Ahsoka's room Anakin sat down apposite her at the kitchens table "okay Ahsoka should be back any minute so I'll make this quick, a few days ago Ahsoka was on a mission when she was captured by a pack of Trandoshans".<p>

As he talked Anakin handed a data pad across the table, Barriss skimmed through the information in front of her "oh my, I can see why she's been upset"

"I've tried a few times to get her to talk about what she experienced in detail but she'll either make up an excuse to leave or pretend to not hear me, all I'm asking is while you're here you try and talk to her"

Barriss saw a look of worry that seemed foreign on Anakin's usually overly confidant manner, after reading a bit of the data in front of her she looked up "I'll try my best master".

The next half hour went by in silence, Barriss read every inch of the data pad while Anakin sat crossed legged in the middle of the living room. Every few minutes Barriss would sneak a glance at her master for the time being, this close it was easy to feel what the other masters saw in him. Even in a meditative state Barriss could feel his power emanate throughout the room, she fought the urge to stare as his lightsaber floated in front of him, after mentally stripping and reassembling the weapon a couple times his eyes finally opened "here she comes, let me do the talking" before Barriss had time to question Ahsoka slipped in through the door.

The young Togruta's eyes glanced to her master before noticing Barriss sitting at the table, Barriss slipped the data pad under her robe as she stood up "hello Ahsoka"

"Barriss, what are you..."

Anakin stood up and walked closer to his padawan " Master Unduli is going to be on a rather difficult mission for the next few weeks so Barriss will be staying with us"

Ahsoka looked confused for a moment but quickly replaced it with an emotionless glance aimed at her friend "so she'll be living here?"

"that's what I said Snips" with a sarcastic roll of his eyes Anakin made his way to the door "I'll be back in a few hours, stay here till I get back"

Barriss took the moment to take the data pad out of her robe and shove it into the nearest drawer she could find "where are you going master?"

"just taking a walk" and just like that the door closed leaving Barriss alone with her friend

Ahsoka spoke up before she could "think I'll take a shower"

Barriss placed a hand on her friends shoulder as she passed "Ahsoka I..."

Ahsoka nearly jumped to the ceiling when the hand made contact "not now Barriss".

* * *

><p>The sound of running water filled Barriss' ears as she laid down on the couch<em> 'this is gonna be harder than I thought'<em>. Going over the event in her head did nothing to put her mind at ease, she was expecting some resistance but to have Ahsoka completely shove her away was just...wrong.

Thinking back she couldn't remember ever seeing her friend act like that before, and the look she got for putting a hand on her shoulder wouldn't be leaving her mind anytime soon. 'This approach obviously isn't going to work, maybe if I just make her see I'm always here to help she'll come to me' sitting up on the coach she had just enough time to pull her hood down to her shoulders before Ahsoka walked into the living room.

Barriss ran a hand through her short black hair to make sure it was straight as Ahsoka sat down beside her "Barriss I want to apologize, I don't want you to think I'm not excited about you staying with us".

Something in Ahsoka's voice caught her off guard, it sounded almost broken "Ahsoka are you okay?".

Ahsoka pulled her legs up on the coach "I don't know"

"Ahsoka if you need to talk I'm here" Barriss reached her hand out and rested it on Ahsoka's, to her surprise Ahsoka not only left her keep it there but tightened the grip so she couldn't let go. They sat in silence for the next few minutes as Barris slowly felt Ahsoka's body inch closer to her own, Barriss felt her heart rate increase as Ahsoka leaned her head down and rested it on her shoulder.

_'Say something you idiot, anything'_ the heat off her friends body only added tension to the already strange situation she now found herself in. Just when Barriss found the right words a soft snore from Ahsoka's now sleeping form seemed to drain the energy from the room, Barriss had to hold back a small laugh 'she was just tired'.

Looking at Ahsoka's closed eyes and realizing there know way to move without waking her Barriss leaned back as much as she could and closed her own eyes, it no time at all her world faded to black.


	2. An Easy Promise

_**New feelings arise!, now assigned to Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, Barriss Offee fails in her first attempt to get through to her friend. Worried the person she cares for may be gone forever Barriss quickly comes up with another plan to help Ahsoka Tano.**_

**Chapter 2: An Easy Promise**

Sunlight lightly pored into the room through the window as Barriss slowly opened her eyes, the view out the window gave off an breathtaking image of Corusant as vehicles of all shapes and sizes flew by.

Barriss lifted the blanket that covered her and placed it gently around her friends body, Ahsoka moaned in her sleep and rolled over leaving room for Barriss to get up. After pulling herself up as quietly as she could her gaze shifted to the hallway, Anakin walked out and moved to the window "any progress?"

Barriss joined her master by the window, trying to keep her voice as low as possible as she talked "I'm sorry master, it's obvious now that something is bothering her but it might take a while for her to want to talk about it"

"I had a feeling this would take some time, as far as I know we're stuck here today so I'll try and get out of your way as soon as I can"

"master if it's okay with you I have a suggestion?" After a slight nod from Anakin she continued "maybe if you give us something to do out there" Barriss waved a hand towards the window "I think a change of scenery might do her some good, I know how boring this place can get if you're stuck here long enough"

"no kidding, I suppose some fresh air could help. We have been at the temple since she got back" both heads turned as a slight change in the feel of the room told them Ahsoka was awake, Barriss couldn't help but smile at the sight of her friend "well good morning".

Ahsoka sat up on the coach and rubbed a hand across the back of her neck "that couch is not comfortable" the young Togruta's eyes moved to the blanket around her waist "did you stay with me all night?".

A knock at the door killed Barriss' attempt to answer, Anakin waved a hand to the door to unlock it "come in Obi-Wan".

Obi-Wan stepped inside and bowed to his former apprentice "Anakin I..." Barriss offered a light smile as Obi-Wan glanced in her direction "padawan Barriss, a pleasure as always. Anakin may I speak with you for a moment?".

"of course" Anakin clasped his hands behind his back and led the way out the door, light filtered through the empty hallway as Obi-Wan closed the door behind them "I take it there's a reason you have two padawans?"

"what you don't think I'm good enough to teach two at the same time?"

"Anakin"

"fine, look Ahsoka's been acting strange lately so I...borrowed Barriss for the time being" Obi-Wan nodded to himself "true there has been a change in your padawan's behavior as of late, you think having Barriss around will help her relax?"

"that was the plan,yes"

"huh, a very thought out plan, this was your idea right?"

"ouch, okay master I find it hard to believe you came all the way over here just to insult me"

Obi-Wan reached into his pocket and pulled out a small data pad "this data pad needs to be at the senate building"

"so what's it doing here?"

"well before you interrupted I was going to ask..."

Anakin snatched the data pad out of Obi-Wan's hand "consider it done"

"that easily?" Anakin stepped halfway back through the door before looking back "I didn't say I was doing it, after all I do have two padawans" with a roll of his eyes Obi-Wan waved goodbye and started down the hall.

Barriss turned just in time to catch the data pad before it hit the floor, Ahsoka walked to her side and studied the object in her hand "a data pad".

Barriss nodded in agreement "do you need us to deliver this master?"

"I'm sure as force not gonna do it, Obi-Wan needs that data pad delivered to the senate building" Barriss and Ahsoka bowed to their master before heading out the door, Anakin called out before they rounded the first corner "I'd take you time coming back!, doesn't look like we'll see any action today!".

* * *

><p>Now several blocks away from the Jedi temple Barriss was awestruck at the sights all around her, skyscrapers gave off a soft metal glint that surrounded the two padawans in every conceivable direction, spots of sunlight sprinkled across the red walkway that guided them to their destination, and species from all over the galaxy fluttered by going about their business. Not able to see the look on her face she turned at a friendly chuckle from Ahsoka "what?"<p>

"you don't get to stay here often do you?"

Barriss tried to hide the look of embarrassment from her face "am I that obvious?"

"It's okay, I still remember the first time I saw Corusant"

"I thought you were fairly young when master Plo found you?"

Ahsoka grinned as she tapped her head "I have a good memory, anyway when master Plo carried me out of the ship towards the Jedi temple he turned for a few seconds to let me take in the view" a quiet sigh escaped her mouth before she continued "Corusant in the dead of night, the way the neon lights created a multicolored horizon over the stars, the faint sound of children laughing...that moment still stays with me till this day"

"the first time you truly felt at home"

Ahsoka's head slowly nodded "exactly, how did you know?"

"I felt the same way, even the short time I had with my family I felt...I don't know...different, like I didn't belong there" Ahsoka's vision darted away and for a second Barriss' heart skipped a beat 'did I go to far?'

Her worries were quickly laid to rest when Ahsoka wrapped an arm around her shoulder as they walked "were both home now Barriss, one thing I know for sure is that no matter what happens in this war, this" Ahsoka gestured all around them "this is something neither the sepretists or the Sith can ever take from us". Despite herself Barriss couldn't help but enjoy the warmth at having her friend so close, whatever perfume Ahsoka wore was instantly noticeable this close.

They walked in silence till a large set of stairs was all that stood between them and the giant domed senate building, Barriss felt her heart drop as Ahsoka removed her arm from around her shoulder but quickly forced the emotion away "so where exactly are we supposed to deliver the data pad?"

Ahsoka offered a unhelpful shrug "maybe we should just leave it...wait...there's senator Organa"

Barriss had to run to keep up as Ahsoka took off down the steps "who?"

"a friend of a friend, he'll know where that data pad needs to go" suddenly aware of her almost completely black outfit Barriss wiped away a bead of sweat as she caught up with Ahsoka. Her friend was already mid conversation with the tall man she called Organa.

Once Barriss stopped beside them Ahsoka introduced her "senator this is fellow padawan Barriss Offee, a close friend"

Organa smiled politely as he shook the hand in front of him "a pleasure, so what is it you need?"

Barriss pulled the data pad out of her pocket "master Skywalker gave us orders to deliver this to the senate but unfortunately he forgot to mention exactly where"

Organa studied the data pad for a moment "ah yes, the information I requested"

Barriss handed the data pad to Organa "this data pad was for you?"

"yes, see I'm giving a speech to a local school about how the Jedi help us in the war effort. This information will be very helpful, be sure to give Obi-Wan my thanks" Barriss and Ahsoka both nodded as the senator turned and started towards the senate building.

* * *

><p>Barriss hit a small button on her wrist "master the data pad was successfully delivered to senator Organa"<p>

Anakin's voice took a moment to answer "good work, both of you"

"what should we do now master?"

"I'm not your father, the rest of the day is up to you two now, just be back before sundown"

"yes master" Barriss hit the button on her wrist once more before looking back to Ahsoka "for a Jedi he certainly has an odd sense of humor"

Ahsoka held back a grin "yeah you'll get used to that after a while"

"if you say so, so what do we do now?"

Ahsoka shrugged as they headed back up the steps "it's not often we get a day off like this, I'm not really sure. What do you suppose regular girls do on days like this?"

"I didn't realize we weren't regular girls"

"you know what I mean, girls who aren't constantly slashing droids or practicing new ways to fight" Barriss had to take a minute to seriously think about the question, she lead Ahsoka to a small bench by the edge of the walkway and they both sat.

True it wasn't every day they got a day to themselves, thinking back she couldn't remember any other time this had happened but she refused to believe they weren't normal 'maybe a little different, but what was wrong with that?'.

"You two ladies look bored, why don't we try and fix that?" Barriss looked up at the source of the voice, a tall athletically built human male stood in front of her, with rugged features and low cut brown hair there was no denying the appeal but something about him immediately brought a foul taste to her mouth.

Apparently sensing the same over confident stride Ahsoka quickly looked away "not interested".

A look of slight shock crossed the boys face, obviously not used to being turned down so quickly he took a few steps closer "I'm sorry how rude of me, allow me to introduce myself. The names James Clever"

Barriss simply looked at the hand offered to her "look James it's been a long day so if you don't mind we'd like to be alone"

James shook his head in protest "now that just wouldn't be right of me, the streets of Corusant can be a dangerous place, especially for two lovely ladies such as...whoa!" James eyes widened to double their normal size as he rose several feet in the air, Barriss looked over to see Ahsoka with one outstretched hand pointed in the boys direction.

James flailed around helplessly in the

air "damn it why are the hot ones always Jedi!".

Barriss couldn't help but laugh "I tried to warn you James, now how about you apologize so we can let you down"

"okay!, okay!, I'm sorry alright!"

"see was that so hard, Ahsoka I think the poor guys learned his lesson" Ahsoka smiled as she put her arm down, James hit the ground with a loud thud but got to his feet in seconds. With one last look he took off down the walkway and disappeared into the crowd.

Barriss gave Ahsoka a surprised look before both Jedi busted out in laughter, more than a few passing heads turned in their direction but for the first time in a while Barriss saw her friend truly happy 'let them stare'.

After several minutes of shared laughter Barriss slumped back on the bench holding her side "well we nearly gave a boy a heart attack, what now?"

Ahsoka grabbed her hand and pulled her back off the bench "hungry?"

"very".

* * *

><p>The sign they passed told Barriss they were entering a area of Corusant designated CoCo Town, she had no idea why Ahsoka was taking her into one of the more seedier areas in the senate district when just mentioning your a Jedi was usually enough to get into even the most exclusive restaurant but the smile on her friends face was enough to stop the question.<p>

Ahsoka stopped at what first Barriss thought was somebody's house but a red neon sign outside one of the rectangular shaped building told her otherwise "Dex's Diner"

Ahsoka led the way inside "Obi-Wan brought me here once, the owners really nice" as if on cue a rather large Besalisk wearing a grease stained shirt and a small apron over black pants walked up to them.

Apparently recognizing Ahsoka a smile spread wide across the Besalisk's face "Ahsoka Tano, don't tell me the Jedi need my great knowledge once again huh?"

Ahsoka shook one of the four hands in front of her "sorry Dex, we're just here to eat"

"well in that case take a seat my young friends, just what can I get for ya?" Dex waited till both padawans were seated at the table closest to the door before handing them a menu.

Ahsoka handed the menu back without so much as glancing at it "two sliders please"

Dex glanced between the two Jedi before turning around and heading behind the counter "I like a customer who knows what they want, be back in a second"

Barriss was unable to hold her curiosity for very long "what's a slider?"

Ahsoka cast a mischievous grin across the table "you'll find out".

* * *

><p>The next few hours might of flew by if Barriss wasn't completely enjoying every second, Ahsoka shared story after story of her adventures with her master and clone captain Rex as Dex gratefully brought them plate after plate of food and drinks, all the while adding a few stories himself.<p>

It was after a particularly long story that Barriss found it necessary to lean back in the cushioned bench, her heart raced as the leather of a brown boot touched her leg. Quickly sitting straight up Barriss turned her head to hid it's new color, Ahsoka kept talking as if she didn't notice but stopped mid-sentence when she lost eye contact with her friend "Barriss you alright?"

"huh...oh yeah I'm fine, guess I ate to much or something" an outright lie, especially to her best friend 'what the force just happened?' shaking herself back to normal Barriss chanced a glance outside and felt her heart drop "uh Ahsoka"

Ahsoka was already handing a handful of credits to the droid waitress "I know, we should start back if we want to be back before sundown".

"Always a pleasure to serve Jedi, especially ones with such strong appetites" Dex said by way of goodbye from behind the counter, one arm wiped the counter with a white rag while the the other three waved to the Jedi as they walked out the small diner.

The fresh air wiped across Barriss' face as she stepped out onto the walkway, Ahsoka stepped beside her and let out a loud sigh "we don't get enough time like this, promise me we'll do this again sometime".

"I promise" her answer didn't miss a beat, nothing she could ever remember saying came out so naturally, for reasons even she wasn't sure of something about this day just felt...right.


	3. A Special Connection

_**Backfired!, a day out with her friend did it's job of helping padawan Ahsoka Tano. But at the expense of Barriss Offee, the confused padawan now fights through a range of emotions on the way back to the Jedi Temple.**_

**Chapter 3: A Special Connection**

"You two took your sweet time" Anakin stood outside the Jedi temple as Barriss and Ahsoka came into view, the two padawans bowed before following their master back into the temple. As the group of three got closer to their quarters Anakin turned "Ahsoka go on ahead, I need to speak with Barriss for a moment"

"whatever you say Skyguy" Ahsoka continued down the near dark hallway and disappeared behind the next corner

once the girl was completely out of sight Anakin knelt down to eye level with Barriss "any luck?"

"I don't understand master, yesterday I could barely get through to her and today she couldn't of been more cheerful. She never even mentioned her experiences with the Trandoshans"

"I have a feeling this is more complicated than I once thought"

"master?"

Anakin waved a dismissive hand "probably nothing, so what's troubling you?"

The question caught Barriss off guard, being this close to such a powerful Jedi made it impossible to lie but she just wasn't ready to share her thoughts with anybody "...it's complicated master, I need time to think"

Anakin rose back to his feet "then I won't push, just know need be I'm here if you need advice"

"thank you master, that's good to know" as she followed her master down the hall she couldn't help but notice how unlike all the stories about him her new master was, through her travels with Luminara nearly every Jedi or clone had a story about the famous Jedi Knight Skywalker.

Every story described him as the perfect warrior, the only Jedi knight who fit perfectly into their new army commander role. But being alone with him was different, sure his power from this close up could be a bit overwhelming but something all the stories forgot to mention was just how caring he could be, especially towards his padawan.

Everything from how close he walked beside Ahsoka to the simple fact that he asked Luminara such a personal favor to help her deal with whatever feelings she had showed just how much he cared, most Jedi would say being that close was dangerous but personally Barriss found it comforting.

Just once she wished Luminara would of showed that losing her would of caused her at least some discomfort 'maybe some time with a new master wouldn't be so bad after all'.

"You sure you're alright?"

Anakin's voice snapped her back into the present "yes master, I'll be fine".

* * *

><p>After her turn in the shower Barriss walked into the living room running a brush through her black hair, Anakin sat at the kitchen table typing away on a terminal. Once he noticed her enter the room Anakin nodded towards the hall "Ahsoka already went to bed"<p>

"oh, did she say anything?"

"she thanked me for the day off, said she had fun"

Barriss couldn't hide the cheerfulness from her voice "really?"

"yeah" Anakin took a moment from typing to glance upwards "huh, has your hood been down all day?"

"yes master, why?"

"I didn't notice till now, you know I always assumed you were bald"

Barris simply nodded, this was something she was very used to by now "I get that all the time master, well if you don't require my assistance I think I'll follow Ahsoka's example"

"get some sleep pada...huh, gonna have to come up with a nickname for you. Calling you padawan Barriss Offee is going to bug me after a while"

Barriss let out a light chuckle as she started back the hall "I look forward to that master, goodnight"

"goodnight".

* * *

><p>Barriss closed the door as quietly as she could and set her lightsaber beside Ahsoka's on the nightstand, moonlight shined through the small window and seemed to surround her friends sleeping form. Before she realized what was happening Barriss took a few steps towards Ahsoka's bed, thoughts going faster than her mind would allow did nothing to stop her hand as it gently rubbed her friends cheek.<p>

A tear ran down her face as everything she learned told her to stop, after the reality of the situation finally hit her she pulled back and hit her cot as fast as she could 'this can't be happening!, what's wrong with me!' the thoughts screamed inside her head.

It took everything she had to force several deep breaths 'calm down!, if Anakin senses this that would be it for me!'. These feelings had to be wrong, or misplaced at least, maybe she was so caught up in helping Ahsoka she was misreading her own emotions 'yeah...yeah that has to be it' not to mention how much in her life has changed in the past few days.

'Maybe I'm clinging to Ahsoka because she reminds me of how things used to be before all this, back when things were simpler' convinced she got to the root of her problem Barriss closed her eyes and pulled the blanket up above her face.

* * *

><p>By the time her eyes reopened Ahsoka's room was filled with sunlight from a new day, giving her eyes a few seconds to adjust before sitting up on the cot Barriss quickly realized she was alone. Determined to take advantage of the empty room she moved to the middle of the floor and sat down, after crossing her legs and clearing her mind she began to feel the force's presence emanate through her body and all around the room.<p>

As she focused something seemed odd, it took less of her focus to feel than it had last time she meditated 'all the training must be paying off' the sound of the door opening behind her did nothing to her concentration but as easy as it had been to feel before the force now seeped into every inch of her body.

It took almost no concentration to feel who was in the room with her "sleep well Ahsoka?"

her friends voice seemed to float around the room as she talked "sorry Barriss I didn't want to disturb you, I'll go"

"no please stay, your presence is...soothing" the words came out before she could stop them but she could tell through the feel of the room that Ahsoka took it as a compliment. Barriss felt her friends presence inch closer as Ahsoka sat down beside her, through their combined concentration the force energy in the room spread to double it's power.

With a small amount of concentration Barriss could easily feel Anakin's presence in the living room and even Master Fisto's as he walked down the hall outside.

"Barris" once again Ahsoka's voice seemed to come from everywhere at once

"yes"

"why are you really here?"

Barriss felt a small amount of energy leave her body before she pulled herself together "what do you mean?, Anakin already told you my master is on a..."

"yeah I know what he said, but if you two really wanted to fool me you probably shouldn't have started calling Skyguy master. So what's really going on?"

Barriss could feel her friends presence very strongly now, no doubt any attempt to lie would be sensed before the words left her lips "alright Ahsoka you win, just promise you won't hate me after I tell you"

"I could never hate you Barriss"

even in her meditative state Barriss felt her cheeks turn red (dark green, whatever) "Anakin asked master Luminara if I could stay with you two for a while, he said ever since your experiences on Wasskah you've been acting different. He thought having me here might help you deal with your emotions" to her surprise their was no change in the room after she finished.

After a few moments of silence Ahsoka finally spoke "I suspected as much"

"you're not upset?"

"I was at first, that's why I was so distant the first night you stayed here. But the way I see it I'm actually lucky to have a master who would go to such a great length for me, and I'm lucky to have such a great friend also"

"thank you Ahsoka, I'm truly honored you feel that way. This may not be the right time but if you do want to talk about Wasskah, I'm here for you"

"I know Barriss, but I hope you'll understand that I'm just not ready to talk yet"

"I understand completely, take all the time you need".

* * *

><p>After sitting in silence for what Barriss guessed was about half an hour she felt a strong presence enter the room, Anakin put a hand on the shoulders of both his padawans "the council wants to speak with us".<p>

Barriss slowly sat up as a large amount of force presence left her body, out of the corner of her eye she saw Ahsoka do the same. Anakin waited patiently as both girls rose to their feet "I could feel your presence very strongly in here, something tells me you two are going to make a good team" Barriss and Ahsoka simply smiled as they were led out their quarters, both pulled their lightsabers to their side before going out the door.

Barriss had more than enough on her mind to keep her from talking as she walked through the halls of the Jedi temple. 'What if the masters in the council sense my feelings?', surely in her current condition it would be as easy as holding up a sign. Maybe Anakin's power over the force would be enough to block any attempts focused towards her 'hey that could work, I just have to stay close and not bring attention to myself'.

Now that she had a plan Barriss found it easier to focus on something beside herself, Ahsoka walked beside her master deep in conversation "it doesn't make any sense Skyguy, if that was the mission then why send us?, surely Cody and Rex could handle it themselves"

"that's not for us to question Snips, if the council wants us there then that's were we'll be"

Barriss took a few quick steps to join in the conversation "were exactly are we going master?"

Anakin led them around a corner and towards the giant doors that led into the council "from what I heard there's a disabled separatist star destroyer at the border of republic space, I'm guessing the council wants us to us to go in and finish it off"

"seems like a job for the clones"

"thank you" Ahsoka replied

Anakin raised a hand "relax you two, I'm sure the council has a good reason for sending us in" with a swift wave of his hand the door in front of them opened to reveal the Jedi council.

Light shined in from every angle of the large window domed room, masters Obi-Wan, Yoda, Windu,Kit Fisto and Plo Koon sat at their respective seats, each turned their attention to the three Jedi as they took their place in the middle of the room. Barris instantly felt the heat in her body rise, as slowly as she could she took a few steps closer to Anakin.

It was Master Windu who finally broke the silence "Skywalker, as you already know a disabled Separatists vessel is currently being investigated near the edge of republic space. Master Luminara was present when the ship was disabled but she's been out of contact for some time, we need you to find out what's going on".

"Of course master, we'll depart immediately" As they turned to leave Barriss let out a small sigh 'it worked, no way any of them...'.

"Hold on a second Anakin" Obi-Wan's voice sent a chill up her spine 'no, please no' all three turned back around as Anakin raised an eyebrow at his former master "something wrong?" Obi-Wan rose from his chair and walked to the middle of the room, his eyes closed as he walked in a circle around the three Jedi.

Barriss felt her heart beat increase ten times it's normal rate as she tried to keep her mind a blank, Yoda hopped down from his chair and slowly walked over "sense something you do Obi-Wan?".

Obi-Wan stopped and opened his eyes "I'm not sure master, something is there but...I can't place it"

"hmm" Yoda inched closer to Barriss, once there was just inches between them he stretched out his small arm "please young one, kneel" Barriss dropped to her knees a little faster than she would of liked, surely any more and her heart would simply explode.

Yoda put his hand at rest on her head, Barriss instantly felt the master's presence not only through the room but inside her as well. Her mind raced with thoughts despite her attempt to stop them 'master please' the two words were all she could muster inside her head.

Time stopped as Yoda removed his hand, no doubt someone as powerful as him now knew her feelings better than she did. A silent nod was all Yoda offered before turning to Ahsoka, without a word being shared her friend dropped to one knee. Barriss rose to her feet and tried to keep her face empty of any emotion 'he knows, he has to' .

Yoda kept his hand on Ahsoka's head for several minutes before letting go "seen this only once before I have".

Anakin let a small amount of annoyance in his voice "would somebody tell me what's going on?".

Yoda kept his eyes closed as he talked "a force meld these two padawans have" all heads in the room were now completely focused on Barriss and Ahsoka.

Ahsoka shot a confused look around the room "what's a force meld?"

Yoda inched back to his seat as Obi-Wan stepped in front of the two padawans "a force meld is something only very powerful Jedi can accomplish, when two or more Jedi have a force meld it means that there bodies are very closely connected through the force. In battle it can be used to great effect when the Jedi are close together" .

Anakin spoke up for his two speechless padawan "this sounds like it could really come in handy"

Master Plo rose from his seat "I don't think you understand how serious this is, a force meld is very difficult to keep under control".

"What happens if they lose control?"

Yoda spoke up from his seat "better not to know it is, for know a problem this is not".

Obviously seeing the look on her face Obi-Wan aimed his compassion filled works in Barriss' direction "if there's any sign of discomfort the meld can be broken with the help of a master Jedi, but for know master Yoda's right, it's not a problem".

Barriss knew now wasn't the time but she couldn't hold back the question any longer "does this mean me and Ahsoka can sense each-others feelings easier?".

"Yes that is one of the effects, now Anakin there's a few things you going to need to know"

Anakin bowed "of course master, Barriss, Ahsoka wait for me outside".

* * *

><p>"That's about everything you should look out for. Honestly though this news is...troubling to saw the least" Obi-Wan thoughtfully rubbed his beard "how were two padawan able to do something that should of taken two or three Jedi Masters".<p>

Anakin paced back and forth in the large room "something is going on we don't know about".

Master Fisto watched the scene unfold with a smile on his face "what makes you say that?".

"When Barriss came to stay with us it took Ahsoka almost no time at all to forget about her experiences on Wasskah, I figured having a friend nearby would help but she seemed to change overnight. Then last night I sensed something deep within Barriss, something is causing her great discomfort".

"perhaps being assigned to a new teacher is taking some getting used to" Master Windu stated

Yoda shook his head, causing everyone in the room to focus on him "sensed something in padawan Barriss I did, with a close eye these two padawan should be watched".

Anakin stopped pacing "what did you sense master?"

"time to think I need, indeed very troubling this all is".

Obi-Wan once again rose from his seat "give us some time with this information Anakin, just focus on your mission and your padawans will do the same".

"Alright Obi-Wan, but I don't want kept out of the loop on this, if you find out anything please tell me first"

"of course Anakin".

* * *

><p>Barriss and Ahsoka sat down on a bench outside the Jedi temple's main entrance, thankfully a batch of clouds overhead had stopped the sunlight from roasting them in the heat. Barriss sat in silence, afraid to say anything or even think anything in case Ahsoka picked up on it, no doubt the masters where deciding on just how to tell her she was banned from her teachings 'as long as they only punish me, I can't let them ruin Ahsoka's life because of my feelings'.<p>

"What was that?"

Barriss almost jumped straight in the air "what was what?"

Ahsoka stared at her friend for a minute before shrugging her thoughts away "I guess it was nothing".

Barriss felt her heart sink, she couldn't keep lying like this "Ahsoka"

piercing blue eyes turned and shot down what little confidence she had "you okay Barriss?".

"Ahsoka we need to talk"

Ahsoka inched forward to clear the space between them "I can sense it you know" a lump formed in Barriss' throat, all she do was shake her head. Ahsoka took both her friends hands "something is bothering you".

"What?"

"was it that guy from yesterday, cause if it was..."

despite herself Barriss let out a dry laugh, that was way too close "no, no Ahsoka you don't understand...just listen for a minute okay"

"okay"

"...Ahsoka I don't know how else to say this, lately I've been..." Anakin came around the corner and stopped in front of them, after a strange look Ahsoka quickly let go of her friends hands and stood up.

After Barriss reluctantly did the same Anakin spoke "alright you two, stay close to each other out there and you'll be fine. Other than that this is a simple rescue mission, we should be in and out without any problems".

Ahsoka rolled her eyes "yeah master cause that's how all our mission go"

"doesn't hurt to be optimistic Snips, now come on Rex is waiting for us at the docking bay".


	4. Two Less Lonely people in the Universe

_**A master in jeopardy!, having lost communication with Jedi master Luminara Unduli after she boarded a separatist ship the Jedi council sends Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, along with his padawans Barriss Offee and Ahsoka Tano, to investigate. But will the mission take a back seat to the even more devastating situation going on inside the head of Barriss Offee?.**_

**Chapter 4: Two Less Lonely People in the Universe**

Barriss spent the hold trip mentally hitting herself, although trying to think without Ahsoka hearing became a challenge at first she seemed to get the hang of it after a few attempts.

'If master Skywalker had been just a few seconds later' her thoughts quickly changed direction 'then what?, what would I have said?, that I have feelings for her, that I can barely breath when we're either close together or far apart, that I want to break one of our oldest codes for feelings I don't even fully understand' and there it was. The one question she'd been forcing to the back of her mind all this time, what were these feelings?.

The small shuttle taking them to the larger republic cruiser barely had enough room for it's occupants. Captain Rex sat strapped in beside two other clones on the left side while Anakin, Ahsoka and Barriss sat on the opposite side.

Barriss was fully aware of Ahsoka's bare shoulder rubbing up against her own 'why did I sit in the middle?', chancing a few glances when she was sure no one would notice she racked her mind 'do I find her attractive?, I mean sure she's beautiful but...whoa where did that come from?'. The shuttle coming to a stop was enough to bring her back to reality, all six rose from their seat and stepped out the shuttle single file.

* * *

><p>Anakin and Rex stared out the Jedi cruisers bridge window, a separatists star destroyer hung in space completely motionless. As Barriss and Ahsoka meet up with their master he was already deep in conversation "so no shuttles have launched since it was disabled?"<p>

Rex shook his head "they have yet to make any attempt to escape or fight back, they're just floating out there. I don't like it sir"

"neither do I Rex, but if Luminara's in there we have no choice but to go in"

Barriss stood patiently by her masters side "master I have a suggestion" both Anakin and Rex turned.

Rex took off his helmet as Anakin nodded "go ahead"

"maybe if me and Ahsoka combine our senses, we could tell whats going on inside from here"

Anakin shook his head "I don't know about that, if you lose control of the force meld..."

Ahsoka stepped forward "I think Barriss is right, it's either this or go in without a plan".

After a long silence Anakin finally motioned for Rex to take a few steps back "everyone be as quiet as possible!" every head on the bridge was now on the two padawans as they moved in front of the window and sat beside each other.

Barriss instantly felt Ahsoka's presence mix with her own, within seconds she could feel every thing around her, Anakin and Rex stood several feet back whispering back and forth and everyone else on the bridge had gone back to their duties.

With a mental push she could just make out the separatists ship, another push from Ahsoka and the inside of the ship became clear. As her vision flashed images of the ship something caught her eye, apparently seeing the same Ahsoka helped her in clearing the image.

Had it not been for all her training Barriss would of screamed at the sight now completely clear in her mind "its Luminara"

she instantly felt Anakin's presence walk closer "is she okay?"

"she's on the bridge, I think she's unconscious"

Anakin placed a comforting hand on her shoulder "can you see anything else?"

Ahsoka answered before she could "the dark side is...very strong. Master I...ah!" Anakin was at his padawans side before her back could hit the ground

Barriss felt herself snapped back into reality as she rushed to Ahsoka's side "Ahsoka are you alright!". For a few of the slowest seconds of her life there was no response,

Ahsoka's body just laid limp in Anakin's arms "come on Snips, pull through".

Barriss quickly wiped away a tear as it formed in her eye "come on Ahsoka, be strong". Then, as quickly as it had happened, it was over.

Ahsoka's eyes opened with a small grin already on her face "Dooku's waiting for us master".

* * *

><p>Anakin helped Ahsoka to her feet and immediately started with his list of orders "Ahsoka, Barriss get down to the shuttle, Rex get your squad ready, Admiral Yularen if we haven't contacted you ten minutes after departure blow the ship to hell"<p>

Barriss and Ahsoka started towards the elevator as Anakin continued to spread his orders all around the ship, once the doors sealed them from the outside world Barriss asked the obvious "you sure your alright?"

"I'm fine really, just a minor setback"

"Ahsoka I'm sorry...I did this to you"

"what are you talking about?, this force meld thing was an accident"

Barriss let out a loud sigh as she turned to her friend "Ahsoka you heard Obi-Wan, only very powerful Jedi are supposed to be able to do this. Aren't you at least a little suspicious about how we pulled it off?"

"I guess it is a little odd, but we're stronger than people give us credit for"

"Ahsoka I know why this happened" the doors of the elevator opened to reveal the docking bay, row after row of ships facing giant blue energy shields.

As they started down the large walkway Ahsoka restarted the conversation "Is this about what you were trying to say back on Corusant?, you said lately I've...before Skyguy walked up"

Barriss was sure her heart would stop, she had hoped her friend had forgotten about that "I really think this should wait till after the mission"

"oh come on, you know you can tell me anything right?"

After a reassuring hand was placed on her shoulder Barriss couldn't help but smile 'maybe she will understand'

"of course I will" Ahsoka let a sly grin cross her face.

It took Barriss a minute but when it hit her it hit her unlike anything ever had "you could hear my thoughts the whole time"

Her questioned was answered by Ahsoka wrapping both arms around her waist "we have a lot to talk about...later" after a cold shiver rippled through her body Barriss leaned forward and returned the hug, for that moment in her life they weren't Jedi, there was no code, and all her feelings that had been held back were now front and center in the best possible way.

Ahsoka's body felt warm pressed against her own and for the first time she let the feeling that started in her own body envelope her, it was unlike anything she experienced but from that moment on she wanted it in her every second of her life 'this can't be wrong, it just can't'.

Ahsoka pulled back long enough to nuzzle her head in her friends neck "we have to focus on the mission for now, Skyguy won't be far behind us"

Barriss could feel Ahsoka's breath on the back of her neck, the words might as well of stabbed her in the heart "...your right, we need to be at the ship before him" despite their words the two padawans found it difficult to pull apart, it wasn't till a small droid approached that they regained their composure.

Ahsoka lightly rubbed her back Lekku "oh...hey their artooie, go get the ship prepped for launch" the blue and white astromech beeped a response before riding into the closest ship.

* * *

><p>Barriss sat across from Ahsoka in the rear seats of the T-6 shuttle, her friend had yet to say a word since they entered the ship but even the silence couldn't stop the feeling still going through every inch of her body. Goose bumps went up both her arms and legs just from the thought of the hug she had shared only moments ago "Ahsoka"<p>

"yeah"

"what...what does this mean?, I mean...do you have the same feelings I do?"

Ahsoka seemed to cringe at the question "Barriss, you said you would be there whenever I wanted to talk about Wasskah"

"of course"

"well...here it goes, when Kalifa died I felt like a part of me had too. It was my fault, I wasn't strong enough to help her" Ahsoka stood up from her seat and paced the cockpit "then...when I finally got to the Trandoshans leader, I killed him".

"Yes the report said as much, but it was in self defense"

Ahsoka stopped pacing and turned away from her friend "that's the thing, it was in self defense...partly"

"partly?"

Ahsoka spun around with a fierce look in her eyes, a look that was out of place on the girls usually kind and caring features "Kalifa didn't deserve to die on that planet!, those...things hunted her down like the animals they are!. When I fought with the leader I could of captured him alive but I didn't!, that monster deserved to die!" with those last words Ahsoka slumped back into her chair " I killed him out of hate, ever since that day I've felt...something".

Barriss felt a lump form in her throat "the dark side".

All Ahsoka could do was nod, after Barriss leaned forward and took her hand she forced a smile "the code says attachments are wrong, but after what just happened...the dark side never felt farther away than it did when we...well you know". All Barriss could think to do was strengthen her grip on Ahsoka's hand, she wanted to say something in comfort but her mind was blank.

Ahsoka's smile widened as she looked her friend in the eyes "I don't know what these feelings are Barriss, but if they make us both this happy I do know one thing...they can't be bad".


	5. It's a Trap!

_**A Separatist trap!, ever vigilant in his efforts to rescue Jedi master Luminara Unduli from the increasingly dangerous star destroyer, Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, along with his padawans Barriss Offee and Ahsoka Tano, mount a foolhardy plan to board the vessel and secure the Jedi master from the enemies hands.**_

**Chapter 5: It's a Trap!**

R2-D2 quietly ran diagnostics on the ship in the corner as Barriss let go of Ahsoka's hand and sank back into her own seat "he's coming".

Seconds later Anakin walked into the cockpit and settled into the pilots seat "you two seem happy, given the circumstances"

Ahsoka opened her mouth to reply but Barriss cut her off "I believe it was you who said it didn't hurt to be optimistic"

Anakin raised an impressed eyebrow "not bad Barriss, not bad at all"

As the T-6 shuttle lifted off the metal docking bay and into the endless vacuum of space Barriss couldn't help but feel a little selfish, she was so preoccupied with herself she had completely forgotten about Luminara's situation 'she'll be fine you know, we'll get her out of there'

Ahsoka's voice was so clear in her head she could have been whispering directly in her ear 'I know Ahsoka, but thank you'.

As the shuttle slowly inched closer to the separatists ship Anakin brought his wrist to his mouth "Rex you read me?"

"loud and clear sir"

"me, Ahsoka and Barriss' will attach as close to the bridge as we can, you and your squad will be starting further to the ships rear, try and keep the droids attention for as long as you can"

"yes sir, good luck"

"you two Rex"

Barriss at back in amazement as she watched her master fly the ship 'he really is an excellent pilot'

Ahsoka glanced in her direction 'give it time, I'm sure he'll find a way to crash us into something' a small laugh was shared between the two padawans but quickly stopped as a sudden lurch forward told them Anakin had docked with the ship. A small round hatch on the floor hissed open just inches from Barriss'' feet, as she stood up Ahsoka and Anakin did the same.

* * *

><p>Barriss held the unactivated hilt of her lightsaber in her hand as Anakin led the way through the deserted hallways of the separatists ship, looking around it was clear the ship was on it's last legs. The floor of the halls were splintered with panels jutting up from the ground in every direction making their walk to the bridge take twice as long than it should of, the air was also noticeably thinner than on a functional ship causing any attempt to sneak worthless by their heavy breathing. Anakin stopped as the hallway split into four different directions "damn it I knew we should of brought R2 with us, okay so we came from..." his words stopped just as stream of red lasers illuminated the hallway to their left.<p>

Barriss saw the blue blade of her lightsaber appear just in time to deflect a shot to her head, the group of super battle droids started their advance two by two down the long hallway as both Anakin and Ahsoka activated their lightsabers. Anakin brought his com-link closer as he directed a hail of laser fire back to it's source "Rex any action on your part?"

Rex's voice took a second to answer "just a few stragglers sir, nothing to serious"

"uh huh just as I thought, looks like Dooku's sending the big stuff our way"

"you want us to assist sir"

"that's a negative Rex, I think he wants us to group up to the same position, stick to the plan for now"

"copy that sir" as Anakin focused back on the fight at hand Barriss saw an opening in the laser fire and leaped forward. With a quick swipe of her lightsaber the first droid split into two pieces, before the first droid had time to hit the ground a light push of the force sent her into the air. Landing on top of the droids round top she brought her lightsaber straight down before leaping backwards. A force push from Ahsoka sent the crippled droid back into the next group as Barriss landed lightly on her feet beside her friend.

Just as the last two battle droids hit the floor Anakin moved beside his padawans "impressive Barriss, you too Snips"

Ahsoka deactivated both her lightsabers and clipped them to her side "a little help would have been nice"

Anakin simply shrugged "you two looked like you were having fun, I didn't want to but in"

Barriss forced back a smile as Ahsoka rolled her eyes "that never stopped you before"

"funny Snips, just for that you watch the rear, Barriss take point" Barriss kept her lightsaber active as she turned to the heap of scrap metal that used to be droids, as she led the way Anakin moved the droids out of their way with a wave of his hand. After the adrenaline from the fight wore off Barriss was once again reminded of the thin air when she miss judged a step and fell to her knees, Anakin rushed forward and helped her back to her feet "it's the air isn't it?" all she could do was nod. Anakin looked ahead as he picked up Barriss' lightsaber from the ground and handed it back to her "it's getting to me too, we need to get Luminara and get out as quick as possible"

* * *

><p>Barriss did her best to keep the stride of her master as they ran through the seemingly endless mix of hallways, as she rounded a corner a large metal door forced all three Jedi to a halt. Ahsoka put a hand on the door "Dooku's in there"<p>

Barriss nodded "and Luminara, her presence is weak master".

Anakin had already plunged his lightsaber into the door and began cutting a large circle "you two go straight for Luminara and get her out of there, leave Dooku to me"

"master do you think that's a good idea?, this is obviously..." before Ahsoka could finish Anakin gave the freshly cut door a kick and ran through the hole "a trap" the padawan turned to Barriss as she crouched through the door "why do I even try?"

Barriss followed her friend "because one of these days he might actually listen to you"

As her eyes scanned the bridge of the ship Barriss was immediately confused, beside Luminara laying unconscious on the floor nothing was as she had expected "where's Dooku?" Anakin gestured for his padawan to go to Luminara's side as he jumped down to the lower level with his lightsaber drawn. Barriss and Ahsoka knelled beside the Jedi masters limp body, Barriss put a hand on her former masters forehead "she's warm, some serious burns on the arms and chest"

Ahsoka nodded in agreement "no doubt the seppies tortured her, kriffing droids" as the two padawans watched Luminara's chest rise and fall Anakin jumped back up to their level.

The Jedi's com-link was already raised to his mouth "Ularin move the ship as far back as you can without losing sight of us"

Barriss raised an eyebrow as Anakin walked up to her "is there a problem master?"

"well the good news is Dooku isn't here, the bad news is there's a bomb on the bottom of the bridge big enough to bring down the entire ship"

both Barriss and Ahsoka rose to their feet, asking the question in perfect unison "how long?"

"timer said about three minutes".

* * *

><p>The sound of blaster fire filled Anakin's com-link "Rex you there!"<p>

"don't know what you did sir but these clankers sure are stirred up!"

"Rex you need to get back to the ship!, there's a bomb on the bridge!"

there was a short pause on the com-link "no need to worry about us, we'll be...soldier watch your flank!. We'll be out of here in no time!"

"double time it Rex, over and out"

Barriss looked down at Luminara "what do we do about master Luminara?"

Anakin knelt down and cautiously wrapped his arms around Luminara's body, after lifting her up bridal style he nodded to the door way "both of you make sure the way is clear, I'll be right behind you" Barriss nodded and began to follow Ahsoka out the door "Barriss wait" she turned just in time to catch Luminara's lightsaber in her free hand "be careful".

Taking off at a sprint down the hallway Barriss activated both lightsabers and let them drag on the floor behind her, the path of twin streams of light making an easy path for Anakin to follow. As she rounded the first corner she saw the remains of a battle droid and couldn't help but smile 'not bad Ahsoka'

'thanks, although I could use some help, ya know if you have the time' as she ran up two the four way split off that had stopped them before she saw what Ahsoka had meant, her friend was pinned down by a entire squad of super battle droids. Taking note this was the only hallway standing between them and the ship Barriss didn't stop beside her friend and ran straight at the droids, bringing a lightsaber up to either side she nimbly slipped in between the droids while letting the weapons do their job. Hitting the floor with her hands halfway through the hallway she pushed herself back into the air and took out the last two droids before her feet hit the ground.

Ahsoka deactivated her two lightsabers "wow...that was...wow" Barriss had to turn away as her face turned bright red but quickly regained her composure as Anakin rounded the corner.

* * *

><p>Anakin rested Luminara's body down on a counter close to the back of the ship before climbing into the pilots chair, Ahsoka quickly hopped into the copilots seat while Barriss stayed back beside Luminara. The ship was off and barreling through space before she had time blink, in the pilots chair Anakin activated his com-link "Rex please tell me your at the shuttle!"<p>

"copy that sir, just a few more seconds and we'll out of the blast range" Ahsoka hit a few buttons in front of her "that's great, now can we get out of here"

"patience Snips" a smirk crossed Anakin's face as he pushed the ships controls forward, Barriss had to put a hand on R2's dome to avoid falling over. Before they could get out of range all three Jedi could sense the separatists ship exploding behind them, the explosion caught up and engulfed their ship in a matter of seconds.

Anakin tightened his grip

on the controls "this is gonna be close!" the front view port of the ship became clouded in red smoke "really close!". Barriss felt the metal under her boots grow hotter and hotter as the seconds rolled by, she wrapped her hand into master Luminara's as she was sure the flames were enveloping the ship.

With a confident yell Anakin put one more thrust into the controls "yaaa! Hooo!" the flames disappeared from the view port as quickly as they had appeared and Barriss felt the temperature in the ship return to normal. Slowing the ship to a regular pace Anakin leaned back in his seat "too close".

* * *

><p>Barriss sat in the medical area of the Jedi cruiser transfixed on the image of Luminara floating in a large bacti-tank, this wasn't the strong confident woman she had gladly served under. Stripped of her usual black robe the medical droids had left her with just enough rags to preserve her modesty and her usually contained black hair fell to her shoulders.<p>

As she tried to block the sight of Luminara's damaged body from her mind a cold hand touched her shoulder "Luminara's strong, she'll be fine"

Barriss didn't need to turn to know Anakin now stood behind her "I know she will"

"then whats troubling you?, is it the force meld?"

"master I know I felt the Dooku's presence on the bridge of that ship and yet...the only other living thing on there master Luminara"

Anakin took a few steps around Barriss and sat down beside her "I'll admit I don't know much about a force meld but perhaps your senses were so in tuned you could feel Dooku's presence even after he had left the ship"

"you really think so?"

"it's the only explanation I can think of, now come on, lets go get some rest. According to the medical droid Luminara should be back on her feet by the time we reach Corusant"

"of course master".

* * *

><p>By the time Barriss made her way to the sleeping quarters of the ship Anakin was already asleep in one of the beds, Ahsoka sat cross legged in front of the large window at the end of the room. After taking a few steps into the room Ahsoka's thoughts began to buzz through her head '...this is just a phase, I'm confused is all. Come on pull yourself together, you can't be...'<p>

"can't be what?" her words caused Ahsoka's thoughts to stop abruptly.

The young Togruta was on her feet in seconds "Barriss!, I was just..."

Barriss brought a finger to her lips "shh" she nodded in Anakin's direction 'just think it'.

Ahsoka walked over to the closest bed and sat down 'fine, I was just thinking about us'

Barriss wanted to sit beside her friend but found her feet unwilling to move from the middle of the room 'what about us?'

'Barriss no more beating around the bush, if we can't talk about this openly then we shouldn't talk at all. You have feelings for me right?'.

Now Barriss had to sit down, after moving to the same bed as Ahsoka she sat down 'Ahsoka these past few days have been the best and worst of my life'

'oh, well thanks' Barriss felt her heart sink 'okay maybe I worded that wrong, all I mean is...these feelings are the best thing that's ever happened to me, but figuring out what they were was the hardest thing I've ever done'

Ahsoka looked down at the floor 'so you know what they mean'

Barriss placed a slightly shaking hand on her friends chin and slowly lifted Ahsoka's face to meet her own 'all I know is I care about you'. Barriss could feel Ahsoka's breath blow against her face as she inched closer, her heart skipped a beat as she took in the reality of the situation and leaned in herself.

Time slowed as their faces were just inches away from one another, both girls stared directly into the others eyes "no, no we can't do this" Ahsoka was off the bed in seconds leaving Barriss with her lips parted for the air.

Barriss stood up and did her best to keep the unease from her voice "I'm sorry" Ahsoka started for the door "Ahsoka wait!"

the words stopped the girl in her tracks but she kept her eyes on the door "what"

"we can't just ignore this" Ahsoka spun around and faced her friend "Barriss listen to yourself!, this isn't you, your talking about breaking the Jedi code!"

"you don't think I know that!, Ahsoka this scares me like nothing else ever has!" both heads turned as Anakin shifted in his bed, after a few moments of silence Barriss turned back her friend 'this is by far the scariest thing I've ever had to face but we have to talk about it, these feelings won't just disappear'

'but we're Jedi, it's our job to put feelings like this aside for the good of the galaxy'

'do you think you can?'

Ahsoka turned away 'whether I can or not doesn't matter, we have too'

Barriss put a hand on her friends shoulder 'I don't think I can, Ahsoka after these past few days, the thought of being without you...I can't breath'.

For a moment Barriss thought her friend was going to once again head for the door but instead Ahsoka turned back around 'this is too much' tears ran a small stream down the padawans face 'I just...I don't' Barriss was at a loss for words, all she could think to do was lead her friend back to her bed. Ahsoka laid down without a word and only flinched slightly when Barriss placed a thin blanket over her body.

Without thinking Barriss leaned down and lightly kissed the back of her friends head 'get some sleep, we'll talk later'.

Ahsoka pulled the blanket tighter around her body 'thank you Barriss'.


	6. Heaven In Your Eyes

_**Feelings in the open!, after finally admitting their feelings for each other padawans Barriss Offee and Ahsoka Tano can finally focus on the mission at hand. Desperate to see her former master in a less compromising position Barriss rushes to the medical station on board the Jedi cruiser Resolute.**_

**Chapter 6: Heaven in Your Eyes**

Barriss woke up in a better mood than even she thought was appropriate considering what had happened the night before, after a quick shower she made her way to the medical bay. With a wave of her hand the door leading to the medical bay hissed open revealing an empty bacti-tank, Barriss started to look around the room when a familiar voice caught her attention "looking for someone padawan" master Luminara stepped through the door behind her with a smile on her face. Barriss took a moment to examine her former master, now back into her black Jedi robes the scares of her last battle were almost invisible save the small limp she tried her best to hide.

Luminara put a reassuring hand on Barriss' shoulder "Skywalker told me about the force meld, how are you doing?"

"it's...different to saw the least, having someone able to hear my every thought took some getting used to"

"I can imagine, what about Ahsoka?"

Barriss couldn't hide the hesitation in her voice "what about her?"

"how does she feel about all this?"

"I'm not really sure, we haven't had the chance to talk about it"

Luminara nodded "well I'm sure you'll get the chance, given my circumstances"

"master?"

"well I'm not exactly in any condition to teach you unless you want to learn how to limp, you'll have to stay with Skywalker till I can be back out in the field"

Barriss wasn't sure how to feel, on one hand this was exactly what she wanted, on the other she found herself missing her formers master company "if that's what you wish master".

"it is, despite his sometimes rash decisions on the field Skywalker has proven himself to be a good teacher"

"no argument there, Ahsoka is very well trained" as both Jedi made their way to the door Barriss clipped a lightsaber off her side "master I almost forgot, your lightsaber"

Luminara took the lightsaber with a smile "thank you padawan, now come on, your master is waiting for you".

* * *

><p>Barriss once again felt her body heat rise as she stood in front of the Jedi council, Anakin bowed slightly as master Luminara took her seat. Master Windu spoke up first "no losses, master Luminara returned safely, and one less separatists ship to worry about, excellent work Skywalker"<p>

Anakin grinned as he placed a hand on both Ahsoka and Barriss' shoulder "couldn't of done it without these two"

Yoda kept his eyes on Barriss as he talked "yes interested to hear how they performed I am, hard to control a force meld can be".

Barriss took a few reluctant steps forward as Anakin lightly pushed on her back, the eyes of every master on the council were now focused on her "uh...yes master Yoda it was a challenge at first but after some time I think we have the hang of it"

Yoda nodded thoughtfully "what about you padawan Tano, awfully quiet you have been"

Ahsoka didn't move an inch when Yoda mentioned her name, it wasn't until Anakin patted her on the shoulder that she snapped to attention "huh, oh yeah the force meld. It's been a challenge master, but nothing we can't handle"

Yoda seemed unconvinced but let the subject drop "hmm, very well then. Dismissed you are" Barriss bowed before turning to the door and following her master out of the room.

* * *

><p>Anakin went to his room immediately after leading the way to their quarters, Barriss and Ahsoka sat down on the coach and silently watched speeders fly by the window. After she couldn't take the silence anymore Barriss leaned back on the coach "you alright?".<p>

At first she was sure Ahsoka hadn't heard her but after a short silence she answered back in her head 'I don't know'

'Ahsoka I want to apologize, I pushed you to far last night when...'

'when we almost kissed' Ahsoka finished the thought with an unreadable expression on her face, Barriss wasn't sure what to say let alone think.

She was well aware of what just about happened but saying it out loud really brought it into reality 'yeah, I'm sorry'

'you have nothing to be sorry about, in case you hadn't noticed I wasn't exactly pulling back' despite the situation neither girl could resist a small smile.

Before the conversation had time to restart Anakin walked out into the living room "this force meld might be a good thing after all, don't think I've ever seen you two so happy" Anakin pulled a fresh apple off the table as he headed for the door "well I'm going out"

Ahsoka gave him a weird look "now?, it's almost midnight"

"relax Snips I can take care of myself"

"well would you at least tell us where you're going?"

"out, stay out of trouble" with that Anakin disappeared out the door

Ahsoka let out a loud sigh "god!, I hate it when he does that!"

"this happens a lot?"

"about every other day, I wouldn't mind if he would at least say where he's going"

"do you want to follow him?"

Ahsoka quickly shook her head "if I learned one thing these past few days it's that everybody has their secrets, but we could follow our masters example"

Barriss tried to understand as she was pulled off the couch and to the door "what do you mean?"

Ahsoka stopped inches from the door and turned to her friend with a mischievous grin "looks it's obvious we can't figure out these feelings ourselves, so I say we let fate decide"

"fate?, Ahsoka I don't understand"

"it's simple, we go out tonight and whatever happens happens. No Jedi code, no responsibility, no war, just two people out for a night on the town"

"a date?"

"you're over thinking it, lets just go have fun".

* * *

><p>Barriss followed Ahsoka to the outskirts of the Jedi temple before they stopped "Ahsoka are you sure about this, I don't think Anakin would want us out this late"<p>

Ahsoka had her eyes set on the mass of skyscrapers ahead of them "Anakin always believed in doing whatever was necessary to complete the mission, well this is necessary to our mission"

"and that mission would be?"

"to find out who we are, now come on" Ahsoka took off down the nearest walkway before Barriss could object.

As she watched her friend disappear into a crowd of people she let a grin spread across her face "find out who we are, this should be fun"

Ahsoka's thoughts echoed in her mind 'you coming or not?'

Barriss had to run to catch up, pushing past a group of people she finally saw her friend standing at the edge of the walkway 'right behind you'. Barriss moved beside Ahsoka and leaned against the large rail that overlooked the senate district, the sun had just started to set behind the large domed building that housed the senate. The sight was truly breathtaking but despite her best attempts to stop it Barriss felt her eyes begin to stray away from the slowly darkening city, instead they rested on her friend.

As the darkness was quickly replaced by moonlight it seemed to cascade around Ahsoka's orange skinned body, a gust of wind caused all three of her Lekku to blow lightly across her face and neck. Then a sight Barriss knew she would never forget, looking deep into Ahsoka's blue eyes she found herself lost as the moon's reflection moved through them clearer than it was directly above her. Apparently feeling the eyes on her Ahsoka turned a blushing face away "you ready for this?"

the question caught Barriss off guard "ready for what?"

Ahsoka pointed straight ahead "see the senate building?"

Barriss had to hold back a laugh "you mean the biggest building on Corusant, yeah I think I see it"

"well, race yeah there" Ahsoka pulled herself up and over the ledge in one fluid motion.

As she fell silently to the row of rooftops below Barriss had to blink to make sure she had seen correctly "oh you're on!"

* * *

><p>Barriss hit the first rooftop a few seconds after Ahsoka, after a smile was shared between the two she took off as fast as her legs would allow. As the end of the roof quickly approached a short burst of force energy sent her into the air and across the alleyway, she hit the next roof in a roll just as an orange blur speed by "too slow!" Ahsoka cleared the next two buildings in one leap and started to disappear from sight. Barriss didn't need time to come up with a plan, as her friends silhouette vanished from sight she turned towards the edge of the roof and vaulted straight into traffic.<p>

Her heart raced as a fierce wind blew against her face, after passing two large domed speeders and narrowly dodging a transport shuttle she landed in the back set of a small yellow speeder. The speeders driver turned his head in a heartbeat "what the hell!, oh no" the fear stricken face of James Clever turned milky white as he took in the sight of the Jedi "look I don't want any trouble".

Barriss quickly pointed towards the senate buildings domed roof in the distance "relax James Jedi don't hold grudges, but I would be very appreciative if you took me to the senate building as quick as possible"

James ran a nervous hand through his hair "of course Jedi" with a hard push on the steering pad James' speeder took off, the small speeder weaved in and out of traffic as James pushed it as fast as it would go.

Barriss held onto the back seat as the wind wiped against her face, within a minutes time the speeder was inches away from the senate building. James parked the vehicle quietly on the ground next to the main entrance before turning in his seat "look Jedi"

"Barriss Offee"

"look Barriss, about what happened the first time we meet. I just want you to know that wasn't something I do all the time, things have been rather...difficult lately. Between father going off to war and mother...well you don't need hear about my problems. I guess what

I'm trying to say is, I truly am sorry".

Barriss looked into the boy's crystal clear brown eyes, one thing was for sure, he wasn't lying "apology accepted Mr. Clever" her body wanted to climb out of the speeder but something in the boys expression stopped her from leaving "James if you ever need someone to talk to please stop by the Jedi temple, even if I'm not there the Jedi are always here to lend an helping hand to someone in need".

"...thank you Barriss Offee, I appreciate that"

"don't mention it James, and thanks for the ride".

* * *

><p>With a few well timed force jumps Barriss was on the senate buildings roof in no time, although her black shoes found it hard to keep a grip on the slanted surface a little help from the force was enough to straighten her form. 'Alright Ahsoka I'm here, now where are you?'<p>

'look up slowpoke'

Barriss did what the voice asked, Ahsoka stood in the very middle of the domed roof 'how the hell did you get here before me?, I hitched a ride on a speeder for force sake'

'yeah I saw you cheating, guess the driver wasn't fast enough'

'I guess not, so what do we do now?'

Ahsoka pointed to the spot beside her as she sat down 'let's just sit for a while, I'm kind of tired anyway' Barriss made the last jump to the top level of the senates roof and quickly cleared the distance between her and Ahsoka, as she sat down beside her friend the same cold shiver from before went through her body. Ahsoka must of noticed the series of goose bumps that went across her body "you're okay with this right?, because we can do something else"

"no, no I'm fine. Just kind of cold up here" it was meant to be an excuse but the second the words left her mouth a gust of wind sent another chill through her already cold body "okay really cold now, maybe we should go?" Ahsoka said nothing as she looked out towards Corusants horizon, Barriss followed her gaze and once again the city managed to take her breath away.

Neon lights placed across the various skyscrapers painted a rainbow spectrum over the landscape and were only completed by the lights of speeders buzzing by, from their vantage point the extensive walkways going through every inch of the city were clearly visible, each still filled with people of different species even this late at night.

Another chill tried to snake its way up Barriss' body but was stopped halfway through when a orange arm wrapped around her waist, Ahsoka wasted no time in scooting as close to her friend as she would allow. Barriss instantly felt warmer both inside and out as she moved her own arm behind Ahsoka's head, both Jedi laid still staring straight up at the stars as their body heat warmed each other. Without thinking Barriss started to run her hand lightly across Ahsoka's back Lekku, she considered stopping until Ahsoka tightened her grip on her side.

Barriss felt her heart beat increase dramatically as Ahsoka buried her head in her neck, once again the pleasant feeling of her friends breath on her bare skin enveloped her whole body. Ahsoka's breath was heavy but relaxed, after a few minutes of silence she spoke up, her voice pitched a bit lower than usual thanks to the position she was in "there's no fighting this is there?"

"no I don't believe so"

"would you?, I mean if there was a way to let these feeling disappear, would you do it?"

Barriss needed no time to think, no question she was ever asked seemed as easy as this "of course not, I know the Jedi code is the way it is to help us but something that feels the way this does...it can't be wrong"

Ahsoka pulled her head back "it took me a while to figure it out but I think your right, fighting this is only gonna hurt us so when you think about it we really only have one other option"

"so...you want this?, cause I'm not going to force you into anything you don't want" Barriss tried to hide the tremble from her voice one look from Ahsoka told her she was unsuccessful.

The young Togruta led a smile envelope her face "you're not forcing me into anything, I want this, more than anything"

"me too, so what do we do now?. Obviously neither of us have ever been in a relationship before, I don't know about you but I have no idea how this works"

"I guess we'll go by instinct" after Ahsoka finished talking Barriss quickly noticed their lips had been inches away from each other the entire conversation.

Barriss tried to hide the tremble in her voice as she talked "so what are your instincts telling you to do?"

"take a wild guess" a smirk crossed Ahsoka's lips as she leaned in, a ripple of pleasure went through Barriss' body as their lips pressed together. As cliché as it sounds Barriss saw the world crumble around her, the neon lights of Corusant went black and disappeared from existence as she found it impossible to focus on anything else besides the moment at hand.

A few murmured laughs were shared as each padawan tried to learn how exactly to move their lips in motion with each other but to Barriss funny was hardly the word she would use to describe the feeling inside her, the taste in her mouth was by the far the best thing she had ever experienced and a lack of expertise wasn't going to ruin that.

A sharp pain forced a reluctant Barriss to pull back "ow!, what was that?" the question answered itself as a drop of blood fell from her bottom lip.

Ahsoka ran a finger along the mark "sorry about that, Togruta have sharp teeth" a smile from her friend revealed one blood covered fang.

Barriss had to hold back her laughter "don't be sorry, I could get used to that".


	7. A Relationship Begins

_**Hiding Love!, with their feelings now front and center in their lives padawans Barriss Offee and Ahsoka face a problem unlike any other they've dealt with before. And falling asleep miles away from the Jedi Temple probably won't help.**_

**Chapter 7: A Relationship Begins**

Barriss woke up to the feeling of the sunlight lightly warming her face, Ahsoka pressed up against her body and hid her own face from the suns harsh rays. A light snore from her friend told Barriss she was still asleep 'good god, it's hot up here...wait' "Ahsoka wake up".

Ahsoka's only answer was to roll over and grunt. Thinking quickly Barriss began to trace the markings on her friends face with her finger, Ahsoka offered a light smile but kept her eyes closed "not a bad way to wake up"

"Ahsoka we're still on the senates roof"

"what!" Ahsoka was on her feet in seconds

Barriss sat up and took a quick glance around "shh, somebody might hear us up here"

"we have to get back to the temple, Skyguy's gonna be pissed"

"Ahsoka relax, we will just have to think of something to tell him"

"no that doesn't work with Anakin, he'll just sense that we're lying. We just have to get back as fast as we can"

"then we should probably get going".

* * *

><p>Barriss ran after her friend as both padawans made their way up the Jedi temples front steps and inside the first hallway, slowing to a fast walk Ahsoka looked around the first corner "shit!, I mean crap"<p>

Barriss took a moment to catch up to her "what?"

"you should probably prepare yourself for this" before she had time to question her friend Anakin rounded the corner, the fierce look on his face instantly brought Barriss' heart to her throat.

Their master wasted no time in starting his lecture "just where the force have you two been?, I've been trying your com-link for hours now". Before either girl could form an answer into anything more than random ifs or buts a familiar voice forced all three to turn, Barriss had to rub her eyes before her mind would accept the sight of James Clever running up to them with Obi-Wan following in a casual walk.

James stopped and bowed slightly to Anakin "I couldn't help but overhear sir Jedi, I think before you scold these two I might be able to help explain why they were so late getting back"

Anakin raised an eyebrow at the young teen in front of him "very well kid, but first I'd like to know who it is I'm talking to".

As James opened his mouth to answer Obi-Wan finally strode up beside him, with a compassionate nod to the boy Obi-Wan answered for him "Mr. Clever here is our new mess hall assistant cook, the Jedi will be keeping a close eye on his family for the next few months while he sorts out a few problems".

James' rugged features lit up as he listened, once it was clear Obi-Wan was done the boy nodded back to Anakin "pleasure to met you sir, I've heard many stories about the great Jedi Skywalker. But back to the matter at hand, padawans Barriss Offee and Ahsoka Tano are not to blame for their tardiness"

Anakin stole a quick glance to his padawans "really?"

"you see sir late last night I encountered a...personal problem, having met both girls before I contacted them and asked for their help. With their help the problem was resolved but in solving it we got separated, Barriss and Ahsoka must of spent the night looking for me while I came here to wait for them and ran into master Obi-Wan".

Obi-Wan continued the explanation "Mr. Clever's family is in some financial trouble so I offered him a job, in return for his services the Jedi will make sure his family is well taken care of".

Anakin seemed to relax as his former master spoke "well then, Barriss, Ahsoka I believe I owe you an apology. I'll let you and Clever here catch up, meet me back at the quarters in a few hours".

Ahsoka did her best to hide the confusion from her voice "yes master" Barriss nodded a reply before both Anakin and Obi-Wan left the three teens and disappeared around the corner.

Once they were alone James shot both girls a sly grin "not bad huh, growing up like I did has it's advantages once in a while"Ahsoka's face quickly went from confused to angry, seeing her reaction James slapped his own forehead lightly "idiot, sorry Ahsoka I forgot I had yet to apologize to you. As I explained to Barriss last night that incident a few days ago was all my fault. I'd like to apologize and ask for your forgiveness"

With a nod from Barriss added to the apology Ahsoka stretched a hand towards James "apology accepted, just make sure it never happens again"

"oh you won't have a problem with that miss, and Barriss I'd like to thank you. After what you said last night I decided it was finally time to take control of my own life, I owe you everything. If there is ever any way I can repay you just let me know, so...if you don't mind me asking...what exactly were you two doing last night?. I'll admit I don't much about Jedi but it seems like two padawans would have little reason to be on the senates roof that late at night".

Much to Barriss' delight Ahsoka answered rather quickly "we had reason to believe a senator was feeding information to the separatists, our mission was to go to the roof and...spy on him"

"really?"

Ahsoka was already turning away from the conversation "sure why not, come on Barriss we have Jedi stuff to do"

Barriss bowed lightly to James "please excuse us James, apparently we have Jedi stuff to do"

"of course Barriss I understand, I hope to see you again though"

"I'm sure we'll met again James, and remember if you ever need someone to talk to..."

"I know".

* * *

><p>Barriss followed Ahsoka inside their quarters, Anakin laid on the coach flipping his lightsaber in small circles in the air above his head "I can't stand these down days, there's an entire galaxy out there depending on us to win this war"<p>

Barriss took a few steps closer to her master "even someone as powerful as yourself needs rest, despite what half the galaxy thinks we're not superheroes"

"that might be true but we're the closest thing this galaxy has to them, if we don't protect the galaxy who will"

"we are peacekeepers not warriors, someday people will have to learn how to deal with problems without the help of the Jedi"

"maybe, your very smart for your age Barriss. You two should probably get some rest, by the sound of it you had a long night" Barriss offered a light bow before turning and heading back the hallway, as the door to Ahsoka's room opened Barriss saw her friend already laying on her bed. Barriss let the door close behind her and stepped as lightly as she could to Ahsoka's bedside, with a tremble she was still unable to hold back Barriss leaned down and kissed Ahsoka's forehead. Before she could pull back Ahsoka wrapped an arm around the back of her head and pushed their lips together, Barriss ran a hand up and down her friends back Lekku as she returned the kiss.

After a few seconds both pulled back out of breath, Barriss couldn't hide the grin on her face "you didn't bite me that time, we must be getting better"

Ahsoka ran a hand through her friends short black hair "I heard Skyguy out there, he thinks we didn't get any sleep last night"

"you can thank James for that, I can't believe Anakin bought his story"

"you have to be a pretty good liar to fool Anakin that's for sure, truth be told last night was the best nights sleep I've had in a while"

"me too, so what now. I mean master Anakin assumes we're sleeping so we probably have a few hours to ourselves"

"I don't know, sometimes it's just nice to enjoy the quiet" as Ahsoka finished talking she scooted over in her bed and patted the empty spot beside her. Barriss wasted no time in laying down, once she was comfortable a gloved arm immediately wrapped around her waist. As time rolled on Barriss lost track of how long they laid in silence, not wanting to ruin the moment she decided to ask a question that had been bothering her in her head 'Ahsoka'

'yeah'

'do you want to talk about this?, I realize it's a lot to take in'

'Barriss we've spent the past few days debating this, I think we earned the right to enjoy it for a while'

'I suppose you're right, but what if...' her thoughts were cut off as Ahsoka's arm tightened it's grip around her waist 'no more talking, we're doing the right thing, I know it'.

* * *

><p>Barriss might of found it a bit odd to be in bed at this time of the day had Ahsoka's small form not been nuzzled beside her, the pattern with which her friends chest rose and fell told Barriss she had fallen asleep. Barriss did nothing to fight the feeling inside her, a smile spread on her face watching Ahsoka sleep 'she's right, I should be enjoying this' but despite the thought a knot still formed in her stomach every time the body beside her shifted position.<p>

Ahsoka woke up as fast as she fallen asleep "Anakin!" before Barriss could question the sudden outburst she was thrown off the bed and hit the floor with a loud thud. "ow!, Ahsoka what the hell?" as Ahsoka opened her mouth to answer the door leading into their room housed a light knock before it swished open and Anakin stepped inside "sorry to wake you two but...Barriss I trust there's a reason you're on the floor?".

"yes master, just meditating. Ever since the force meld it helps to be as close to Ahsoka as possible" the lie came to mind so quick it kind of hurt to say but Barriss was still able to force a smile in her masters direction.

Anakin looked back and forth between his padawan "guess that makes sense, anyway I'm supposed to inform you that master Yoda wishes to see both of you".

'oh no' Barriss shook the thought from her head "what for master?"

"I think he just wants to check on your force meld, makes sure there's no...negative consequences"

'oh god' Ahsoka was less successful in hiding the fear from her voice "what negative consequences?"

"not sure

Snips, don't worry though I'm sure everything's fine" Anakin's words were filled with such raw confidence that even with all Barriss knew she found it difficult not to believe her master "we'll head there straight away master".

* * *

><p>Barriss pulled her hood back over her head as they neared Yoda's quarters, apparently seeing the worried look on her face Ahsoka offered a hand towards her friend. With a sympathetic smile Barriss grabbed the hand in front of her with her own "you're not worried about this?, a Jedi as smart as master Yoda is bound to sense something between us"<p>

"so?"

"so we'll kicked out of the Jedi order, how does that not scare you?"

"oh it does, I'm just better at hiding it. All we can do is hope our feelings aren't made obvious"

"uh huh, you think maybe holding hands is a tad obvious?"

Ahsoka cast a glance downwards "oh yeah, he would probably pick up on that. But I do have an idea"

Barriss stuck both her hands into the pockets of her robe "really?"

"really, now try to hold onto this feeling" a sharp pain hit Barriss' arm before she had time to react "ow!, mother!..."

"a little self control Barriss"

"did you just bite my arm!"

Barriss placed a hand over the small hole in her robe as Ahsoka wiped a drop of blood from her mouth "feel that, hold onto it. If we're lucky your pain will make getting to our real feelings more difficult".

"alright this could actually work, but later I think we should really have a talk about your biting problem"

Ahsoka let a sly grin cross her face "it's not a problem, I pretty much got it figured out"

"funny" Barriss felt her feet stick to the floor as they neared master Yoda's quarters.

Ahsoka gave her a pat on the back "we'll be fine". The door swished open to reveal the tiny form of master Yoda standing with his back to the door, much to her surprise Barriss also saw several young-lings on the other side of the room.

Each young-ling looked past the master at the two padawans standing just outside the door, following the young ones gaze master Yoda turned to the door "ah padawan Offee, padawan Tano, please step inside". Both girls bowed lightly before stepping inside the room, Barriss did her best to keep the rip in her robe covered as all eyes in the room shifted to her and Ahsoka.

Yoda moved to the middle of the room before speaking "wondering why I called you here you are"

Barriss nodded politely "Skywalker said you might want to check on our force meld"

"ah yes, right his was, but gives a good lesson for the young-lings your situation does" as Yoda talked he shifted his focus to the group of young-lings waiting patiently at the side of the room "gather around young-lings, say hello to padawans Barriss and Ahsoka".

Each young-ling nodded before forming a small circle around the three cushioned seats in the middle of the room "hello Barriss, hello Ahsoka" talking together the young-lings voices were the most innocent thing Barriss had ever heard 'hard to believe each one of these kids will grow up to be powerful Jedi'.

As soon as the thought stopped Yoda raised a finger in Barriss' direction "perfect Barriss, sense that kids. Able to talk to one another telepathically these two are" a room full of small arms raised at once, looking around the room Yoda pointed to a small human female.

A smile spread over the girls small face "but master Yoda, aren't all Jedi able to sense each others thoughts?"

Yoda climbed onto one of the cushioned seats and sat down "very good Rose, while correct you are the connection between Barriss and Ahsoka is much stronger than normal. Able to hear each others thoughts without even wanting to they can, surely demonstrate for you they will if you ask nicely".

The unison please that followed instantly brought a smile to Barriss' face, before she could answer Ahsoka spoke up, her soft voice filled with compassion "of course we will kids". Both Barriss and Ahsoka sat down in the two empty seats opposite master Yoda and crossed their legs, as Barriss closed her eyes Ahsoka's presence was instantly recognizable beside her 'so what does he want us to say?'

'not sure, I don't think they can even hear what we say. All anyone else can do is sense that we're talking'. "Great job you two, a show of the power a force meld brings perhaps?" after a few moments of silence the young-ling that had spoken before began to rise, a few laughs could be heard around the room as more and more young-lings began to float. Yoda let out an impish laugh "hmm, learned to fly my young-lings have, very impressive, very impressive".

Once the young-lings had all been brought safely back to the floor Barriss and Ahsoka opened their eyes and sat in a more relaxed position. Yoda waited till the young-lings had reformed their circle before speaking "seen what a force meld can do we have, but can anyone tell me why a force meld is so rarely used?" the same young-ling who had answered before raised her hand "go ahead Rose"

"a force meld can be very dangerous to both Jedi's minds"

"very good Rose" before Yoda could continue another hand shot up from a twi-lek young-ling "master Yoda"

"yes young-ling"

"I thought you said that only master Jedi had the power to form a force meld"

Yoda nodded to the young-ling "ah yes, brings us to the real reason you're here that question does. Padawan learners Barriss and Ahsoka are, know how they have managed to form this meld we do not. Any ideas young ones?" all young-lings in the room remained quiet as their eyes roamed over Barriss and Ahsoka.

After a while the same twi-lek from before raised his hand "maybe a force meld between their species is easier than others performed in the past"

Yoda nodded slightly "perhaps young one, any other ideas?". Rose immediately raised her small hand "master perhaps Barriss and Ahsoka share a special connection"

Barriss swallowed a lump in her throat as Yoda got down off his chair "interesting Rose, please continue"

"well if they cared about each other before the meld maybe that connection made it a more natural thing to form the force meld...in their minds at least"

Yoda let out another impish laugh as he stood between Barriss and Ahsoka, after taking a hand from each he put them on top of each other and placed his own hand on top "truly wonderful the mind of a child is, while possible that could be Rose it can't be the answer here. Very well trained these two padawans are, an attachment to each other they cannot have" Barriss did her best not to show the relief on her face, for a few moments Yoda closed his eyes and left the room silent.

The presence inside her was instantly recognizable as master Yoda but it didn't stay long enough to become anything beside a small shiver, Yoda reopened his eyes and let go of both girls hands "fine for now you both are, go you can, say goodbye young-lings".

* * *

><p>Barriss rubbed the sore spot on her arm as she walked down the hallway leading to their quarters "I can't believe you bit me for nothing, why didn't master Yoda just tell Anakin he wanted us to speak with the young-lings?"<p>

Ahsoka shook her head "I have no idea, so which one do you think was right?"

"what do you mean?"

"well the twi-lek said a force meld might be easier between our respective species but that Rose girl seemed convinced there was a connection between us even before the meld"

"I'm not sure Ahsoka, perhaps the next time we have some time to ourselves we can do a little research and see if there is a special connection between our species"

"I guess it's worth a shot"

Barriss opened the door to their quarters with a wave of her hand and stepped aside for her friend to enter "something else is bothering you, I can feel it".

Ahsoka shrugged as she led the way through the door "it's nothing"

"you're lying"

Ahsoka sighed heavily and flopped down on the coach "ugh fine, it's just...did what master Yoda said bother you?"

"not sure, it takes me a while to realize what he's saying"

"he said we were well trained enough to know we shouldn't form an attachment to each other"

Barriss took a seat beside her friend "yeah, that I heard. Ahsoka if want to end this...I will try"

"no Barriss that's not what I meant, but do you think that we're doing something wrong?"

"well we are breaking the Jedi code, but it doesn't feel wrong"

"what doesn't feel wrong?"Anakin walked in the door with a confused look on his face.

Barriss inched away from Ahsoka as nonchalantly as she could "oh...uh letting my hood down master"

Anakin's look questioned the excuse but shrugged it off as he walked into the small kitchen "by the way that reminds me, how about Raven?"

"I'm sorry master"

"Raven, your nickname. Because of the hair"

Barriss pulled down her hood and ran a hand through her short black hair "sure master, if that's what you want to call me" Ahsoka quickly pushed Barriss' head out of the way "now hold on a second Skyguy, I didn't get to pick my nickname". A short smirk crossed Anakin's face "neither did I Snips".

* * *

><p>A freshly showered Barriss stepped into her shared room still running a towel through her hair "Skyguy went to bed" Ahsoka was already laying on her bed with one leg crossed over the other "it doesn't feel wrong to me either".<p>

Barriss looked at her friend for a moment before their previous conversation came to mind "thank you" throwing the towel on her small dresser Barriss sat down on her cot and began to remove her Jedi robe.

Ahsoka raised an eyebrow in her direction "what are you doing?"

"going to bed, what are you doing?"

"I meant why are you sleeping over there when this bed fits two just fine?" as the words left her friends mouth Barriss stopped unzipping her robe "I don't know, do you want me to keep the robe on?"

"yeah as hot as it gets in here at night, you'd sweat to death"

"I guess you're right" fully aware of the eyes

on her Barriss finished unzipping her robe and let the long black garment fall to the floor, Ahsoka turned her head away before she could see anything "I can tell you're embarrassed, hop under the blanket".

With her friend staring at the wall Barriss found it much easier to move her olive skinned body across the room, even though a black bra and panties still covered her a blush crept across her face as she slipped under the covers beside Ahsoka "you can look now".

Ahsoka turned back and opened her blue eyes "see, was that so scary?"

"not as scary as the thought of Anakin walking in here in the morning and seeing us like this"

Ahsoka quickly shook her head "Skyguy always knocks in the morning, ever since that first time"

"what first time?"

"lets just say the experience was unpleasant for both of us and leave it at that"

"point taken, so...goodnight"

"yes, it is" Ahsoka leaned in and lightly kissed the tattoos on Barriss' face, Barriss was completely unable to hide the blush on her face as she closed her eyes and let the troubles of the last few days drift from her mind.


	8. Young Love

_**A secret in jeopardy!, with his last meeting with the two padawans, Jedi master Yoda senses something that may be enough to bring Barriss Offee and Ahsoka Tano's new found relationship to an abrupt end.**_

**Chapter 8: Young Love**

Anakin's voice snapped Barriss out of a sound sleep "Snips, Raven you two decent?"

Barriss fought the heaviness in her eyes "uh...just a second master" as quietly as she could Barriss whispered to the form beside her "Ahsoka, time to get up" a snort was the reply she received. Realizing her own arms were wrapped under Ahsoka's waist she struggled to hold back an awkward laugh as she slowly pulled herself free.

Once in control of all her limbs a quick force pull brought the black Jedi robe to her hand, slipping the robe on in a matter of seconds she took one last look at her friends sleeping form before turning to the door "come in master".

Anakin stepped through the door with his usual confident stride, after seeing Ahsoka in her bed he leaned in close to talk "better wake her up, the council has another mission for us"

"of course master, just give us a minute" her master offered a slight nod before exiting the room, once the door swished shut Barriss walked to Ahsoka's bedside "hey uh...sweetie, time to wake up".

Ahsoka rolled onto her back with a grin already wide on her face "I don't think cute nicknames are gonna be our thing sweetie"

"it was worth a try, come on Anakin's waiting, we have another mission"

"about time".

* * *

><p>The Jedi councils dome roofed room never faltered in it's ability to bring Barriss' heart to her throat but standing between her master and her best friend gave her the confidence to at least meet the eyes of whoever was talking. After master Yoda did his usual 'check up' on their force meld master Obi-Wan started the mission debrief "Anakin as you know the planet Felucia has been a major battleground since this war started"<p>

Anakin looked at his former master with a hint of sarcasm "no kidding".

"well recent intelligence revealed the plans for a separatists base that, once completed, would give them more than enough fire power to claim the planet for themselves" master Windu continued the brief "the shields that cover the bases construction make a air strike or direct assault impossible but we believe a small group might be able to slip past their defenses and destroy the base from the inside"

Anakin bowed slightly "it will be done masters".

After a short silence a slight nod from Yoda to Obi-Wan forced the latter to his feet "Ahsoka, Barriss, you two are dismissed" with a look of confusion each padawan bowed before leaving the room.

Anakin waited for the doors to close behind him "is there something else you needed masters?"

Obi-Wan sat back down in his seat "Anakin how are your two padawans getting along?"

"what Ahsoka and Barriss?, far as I can tell their close friends. Why?" a cringed look was Obi-Wan's only response.

Anakin let a decent amount of annoyance into his voice "the council promised me I wouldn't be let out of the loop, is there something I should know?"

master Yoda nodded slowly "sensed something unusual in one of your padawans I did, an attachment it was".

Anakin looked at each master for a confirmation of what he just heard "what?" seeing the distress on his face Obi-Wan rose from his chair and walked over to his former apprentice "Anakin either Ahsoka or Barriss has formed a rather strong attachment, you know we'd only bring something like this to your attention if we were certain"

Anakin met his gaze of his former master but it was clear from his expression that he didn't fully believe the words he had just heard "okay fine, lets say you're right and one of them has formed an attachment. Where do we go from here?"

"well there's still a lot we don't know, until we know which girl has the attachment and to whom we can't do anything"

Anakin raised an eyebrow "I'm not gonna spy on my padawans if that's what you're getting at"

"no of course not, for now just try and keep a close eye on them" Obi-Wan paused long enough to lean closer to Anakin "Anakin we both now how serious this could become, if this attachment is as serious as Yoda thinks it is one of your padawans could be stripped from the Jedi order". Anakin's face steeled at the last few words, he knew full well the punishment for breaking the Jedi code but to think someone under his teachings could be stripped of their right to be a Jedi was just...unbearable.

Moving Obi-Wan aside with a light push Anakin once again bowed to the council "masters if I can get to the bottom of this attachment and stop my padawan from acting on it can you promise me she'll be allowed to continue her teachings".

All heads in the room turned to master Yoda, as the senior member of the council whatever his decision was all other masters would agree wholeheartedly. Anakin felt his impatience rise as the small Jedi looked at him with unreadable eyes, just before he felt the urge to open his own mouth Yoda finally answered "a thin line this padawan walks, but to form an attachment, against the Jedi code it is not. A natural feeling attachment is, the duty of all Jedi is to have the power to push feelings aside for the good of the galaxy. Overcome these feelings your padawan must, or...stripped from the order she must be".

* * *

><p>Barriss paced the hallway outside the council chamber "think about it Ahsoka, why else would they only want to talk to Anakin?"<p>

Ahsoka sat on a small bench watching her friend with compassionate eyes "you need to relax, just because the council dismissed us before Anakin it doesn't mean they know about us"

"but what else could it mean?, I mean if..." Barriss felt a hand grab her own and pull her onto the bench, Ahsoka ran a soft finger over Barriss' gloved arm "Barriss if this relationship is gonna work you have to start trusting me, I won't let anyone find out about us, I promise".

Barriss looked into her friends eyes as she talked, her mind instantly remembering the look of Corusant's moon cascading down the deep blue inside them. If anything she'd ever been promise sounded more absolute she couldn't remember it "I trust you...sweetie" it still felt stupid to say but the smile that spread across Ahsoka's face instantly made it feel right "that's so cliché'"

"then wipe the smile off your face"

"the smile is for the person, not the words" Ahsoka leaned in but immediately pulled back as Anakin walked out the big doors behind her.

Barriss felt her heart sink but pushed the feeling away "what was that about master?"

Anakin's tone was distant, obviously his mind was somewhere else "nothing Raven, when we board the Resolute I'd like to speak with each of you individually understood"

"of course master, but why?"

"all in good time my young padawan, for now lets just get moving".

* * *

><p>'Thank the force...well the force for the force meld, what do you think master wants to talk to us about?' Barriss sat across from her friend in the small shuttle taking them to Anakin's flagship, Ahsoka fought the temptation to shrug during the silent conversation 'I'm not sure, but what's more troubling to me is that he wants to talk to us one by one. It's not like Skyguy to be so discrete'.<p>

'you think he has any idea about us?'

'no way, if Skyguy ever found out he'd definitely be more direct in his confrontation. He never was one to hold in his emotions'

'well at least we don't have to worry about that for a while, whatever he wants can't be as important as our feelings' the last thought came out with more compassion than Barriss had intended but the boot covered foot that spread across the metal floor to rub against her own must have enjoyed the comment 'can't argue with that'.

Anakin glanced over at the movement from the pilots seat but quickly looked back, Barriss looked at her master with a light smile 'always focused on the mission'. With his usual expert piloting skills Anakin flew the T-6 shuttle into the Jedi cruisers docking bay, as a sudden lurch told Barriss they had landed she stood and began to follow her master out of the shuttle and into the docking bay. The docking bay was filled with activity, groups of clone soldiers stood all through the large area, some working on ships while others simply talked or used the free time to clean their weapons. All the while dozens of astromechs clambered around helping anyone they could, as Barriss' eyes settled on a familiar blue and white astromech approaching them a clone ran to catch up with him "get back here you pile of scrap!".

R2 didn't stop till it was Anakin's side, the clone Barriss now recognized as captain Rex straightened upon seeing the droids destination. Approaching Anakin with a salute Rex waved a hand in the droids direction "damn astromech won't listen to anyone but you sir, we were in the middle of repairs on a Y-wing fighter when he saw you and took off"

Anakin grinned as he patted the astromechs round dome "R2 go help the clones" the droid beeped relentlessly "I know I know just do it" R2 beeped a few more times before taking off down the docking bay.

Rex watched the droid disappear behind a group of clones before turning back to Anakin "just got our orders a few hours ago sir, got a plan for taking out that base?"

"I'm working on it, just make sure your men are ready if whatever plan I make goes south"

Ahsoka raised a hand into the conversation "you mean when your plan goes south master"

"watch it Snips"

Rex smiled down at the young Togruta before looking back to Anakin "my men are always ready sir, we'll be there to get you out if need be"

"glad to here it Rex" as Anakin turned to leave Rex put a hand on Ahsoka's shoulder.

Ahsoka jumped slightly from the contact but turned to the clone none the less "need something Rex?"

Rex quickly shook his head "don't wanna overstep my boundaries

here sir but I know last time we were on mission to Felucia it didn't go so well, you okay?". Barriss watched the scene unfold with more than a little curiosity, for a clone to go well out of his way for something as personal as what happened to Ahsoka was definitely not something that happened all the time and went a long way in showing just how human the clones truly were.

Ahsoka tried her best attempt at a reassuring smile but the distress under it could easily be seen "I'll be fine Rex, but thank you". Barriss could tell the clone wasn't convinced but Rex offered a slight nod before walking back towards the Y-wing he was working on, before Barriss could offer any comfort of her own for her friend a low beep brought her arm to her mouth on instinct "master".

"Raven I'd like a word with you on the bridge, tell Snips to wait in her quarters"

"I'll be there in a second master" shutting off her com-link Barriss looked at her friend "guess I'm first, lucky me"

Ahsoka stepped forward and took her hand before leading them both down the docking bay towards the elevator "you'll be fine, besides if he's mad about something he'll vent it all out on you"

"yeah that helped, sure you don't wanna bite me again that seems to your solution to everything" a nearby clone looked over at the last few words but shook his head and returned to cleaning his rifle. Barriss couldn't stop herself from a small laugh as they entered the elevator and the doors closed in front of them, as both Jedi were cloaked in darkness Barriss instantly felt the warm press of lips against her cheek "they have cameras in here ya know?".

"yeah something pointed them at the wall, can't imagine what caused that"

"no idea" Barriss felt a familiar chill snake its way through her body as Ahsoka brought a hand to her face, even in the dim light she could see her friends lekku begin to brighten. With a smile she was unable to hold back Barriss lightly rubbed the bright lekku "someone's excited" as her eyes met that of her friends both leaned in instinctively. Barriss could feel Ahsoka's breath hit her face and immediately lost track of anything else but just that, pushing their foreheads against one another both Jedi stared deep into the others eyes as the elevator continued its ascend.

Her heart sank as the doors began to open, it took all the self control the two Jedi had to pull apart before anyone saw them. Stepping out towards the bridge Barriss watched as Ahsoka pushed another button on the elevator and offered a warm smile as the doors closed 'continue this later?'

'try and stop me'.

* * *

><p>Anakin stood at the bridges large window starring out into space as Barriss walked up beside him "you wanted to speak with me master" her master kept his gaze aimed out the window "Barriss what do think of that James Clever kid?". The question took her off guard "I'm sorry master but I don't follow"<p>

"it's a simple question my young padawan"

"well...I'll admit we didn't meet under the best circumstances but he seems to be a nice guy" Anakin's eyes remained unreadable but Barriss could tell his mind was racing with questions "master what is this about?".

"how did you meet him?"

"master I..."

"Barriss please just answer the questions"

The change in her masters tone changed the feel of the entire bridge, despite herself Barriss wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead "that day you sent me and Ahsoka to deliver a data pad to the senate he...well he tried to hit on us".

Anakin clenched his fist forcing Barriss to take a few steps back, finally turning to meet her eyes the Jedi knight was unable to hide the anger in his voice "did it work?"

"what?, no of course not master"

"you helped him just a few nights later so something had to of changed"

"he apologized, as Jedi me and Ahsoka had to accept the apology"

"so you're friends now?"

"I guess, he seemed genuinely sorry for his actions and has been nothing but kind ever since"

"so you like him"

"I guess"

"how much?" with each question the fear in Anakin's eyes grew, Barriss felt her heart rate increase to what had to be double its normal pace "I already said he's nice, master I'm afraid I don't know what you want from me"

"I want to know if you feel anything for this boy"

"of course I do master, I feel pity, grief, and even a little pride that he had the will to apologize"

"that's not what I mean!" as Barriss was sure her heart would explode Anakin turned back to the window with a heavy sigh "what about Ahsoka, what does she think of him?"

"I don't think she cares for him, even after he apologized she seemed to just blow him off"

Anakin rubbed his eyelids for a few moments before speaking again "alright, that's all I needed Raven"

"master are you afraid me or Ahsoka might have a crush on this boy?" now it was her turn to catch Anakin off guard "you really are too smart for your age"

"I can assure you master you have nothing to worry about"

Anakin's stance relaxed a bit "I can take your word for yourself, but how can you be so sure of Ahsoka?"

"master I can say with absolute certainty that Ahsoka feels nothing for James" Barriss swallowed a lump forming in her throat, making sure to chose her next words very carefully "we're Jedi master, such things are forbidden" the slight change on her masters face told her the words hit home.

Anakin immediately turned away and headed back across the bridge "thank you Barriss, you can go now".

* * *

><p>Anakin walked through the halls of the Jedi cruiser doing his best to keep his thoughts inside 'it has to be Ahsoka, how the hell could I let this happen?. I should of known that she would eventually become too much like me, I should of let her go when I had the chance'.<p>

All the thoughts went faster than he could shake them away but after turning into the war room and pressing a few buttons on the large round holopad he finally managed to snap himself back into reality. Obi-Wan's figure stood at attention in front of him "Anakin this is unexpected, is there a problem with the mission?"

"no master the Resolute is on route to Felucia as scheduled"

Obi-Wan's compassion filled voice did little to put Anakin's mind at ease "what's troubling you?"

"it's Ahsoka, I believe she is the one with the attachment" a look of shock was quickly wiped away from Obi-Wan's hologrammed face "what did you find out?"

"I spoke with Rav...uh Barriss about the boy I believed might have been the source of the problem only to find out neither of them really think much of him, but it was the way Barriss talked that convinced me she can't be the one with the attachment"

"so that leaves only Ahsoka, Anakin I know this must be difficult for you but we can still help her. Do you have any idea who she might have feelings for?"

Anakin cringed at the question but forced himself to seriously think about it "well she does spend a lot time with captain Rex, but I think Rex would inform me if he noticed anything strange about her behavior"

"good point, anyone else"

"god I hate this...uh, she has always looked up to master Plo Koon. But I've sensed their connection before, she thinks of Plo like a father not a...well you know"

"indeed I do, and no doubt master Plo would of sensed anything had it happened" a short moment of silence was ended as Obi-Wan spoke up once again "and we can't rule out you Anakin, padawans developing relationships with their masters has happened before".

Anakin felt the hair on the back of neck stand up, just the thought of himself literally being the problem for all of this "I think the age difference is all you need to rule me out master, Ahsoka would probably go for someone closer to her own age"

"yes you're probably right, what about padawan Tyzen Xebec?. They seemed to get along well during their short time together"

"now that one I could believe, but Ahsoka hasn't even mentioned mentioned Tyzen since that mission with him and master Reus. And I don't think they keep in touch outside the temple"

"well can you think of anyone else her age she spends time with?"

"she did mention how much she liked that senator Chuchi, I believe they're not to far off age wise. But you don't think Ahsoka's..."

Obi-Wan raised a hand to stop his former apprentice "we can't rule anything out here Anakin, but I think our best bet is padawan Tyzen. I'll contact master Reus and see what I can find out, in the mean time just keep a close eye on her and try to be a little more comforting than usual. If she's confused she may come to you for support or even ask for help, despite this problem you did train her well Anakin"

"thank you master, I'll do my best".

* * *

><p>After making sure her master was out of sight Barriss took off down the hall as fast as her legs would carry her, in a matter of seconds she opened the door leading to the three Jedi's sleeping quarters. Ahsoka sat on the same bed where they had almost kissed just days ago, as she stepped inside Barriss made no attempt to hide the fear in her voice "we have a problem!".<p>

Ahsoka waved her friend over "just relax Barriss, deep breaths" fighting her feelings was usually difficult but something in Ahsoka's voice made taking a few deep breaths and joining her on the bed the easiest thing in the universe. After sitting and making sure her friend was listening Barriss started again "we have a problem Ahsoka, I think Anakin knows about us".

To her surprise Ahsoka's reaction was little more than a slight look of astonishment "really?, why do you think that?"

"when we started talking on the bridge he asked all these questions about James and what both of us thought of him" Ahsoka took a moment to take in her words before speaking "okay...then he doesn't know about us, he just knows one of us has formed an attachment. He must of assumed it was with James because he's close to our age, but you're right we do have

a problem. If Skyguy knows about the attachment then we'll just have to be really careful around him"

"okay so...I guess I kinda freaked there huh"

"that's alright, it was cute. Not often I see you lose your cool like that" before Barriss had the chance to respond Anakin walked through the door, his always determined eyes looked directly at her "Barriss could you give me and Ahsoka a few minutes?"

"of course master" 'don't worry Ahsoka, it'll be fine' with a compassion filled nod in her friends direction Barriss stood up from the bed and slowly exited the room.

* * *

><p>Anakin looked down at the confused face of his padawan 'Ahsoka I'm sorry, I passed on everything I know to you, my skills, my power, but one thing I didn't see coming is you also sharing my weaknesses. But I won't let my feelings for Padme' stop your chances at becoming the Jedi master you're destined to be, as much as it pains me to think it I can't let you fall in love' the words he wanted to say formed perfectly in his head but he knew he couldn't say them.<p>

Above all else he couldn't let anyone learn of his secret love, but he wouldn't let them strip Ahsoka of her right either. "We need to talk" taking a quiet seat on the bed beside the still confused girl Anakin kept his voice as low as possible "Ahsoka...how are you doing?"

"uh...I'm fine master. Why?"

"can't I check on my padawan every once in a while?"

Ahsoka immediately stood off the bed and backed a few steps away from her master "what's going on?, this isn't like you"

"Snips relax, I just want to talk. What's on your mind?"

"alright Skyguy out with it, what do you really want?"

Anakin let out a small sigh "I'm really that easy to read huh"

"most of the time your an open book, other times I don't know what the hell goes on in your mind"

"watch the language Ahsoka"

Ahsoka put up both hands in mock surrender and took a few steps closer to the bed "what do want master?"

Anakin struggled to keep eye contact with his padawan as he spoke "Ahsoka I'm well aware that at your age sometimes your feelings can betray you"

"oh force master this isn't some coming of age speech is it?"

"well if someone keeps interrupting we'll never know now will we"

"point taken master"

"okay then, as I was saying at your age feelings you would normally be able to push aside may pose more of a threat"

"how can a feeling be a threat?" the question took him by surprise "I'm sorry Snips"

"feelings are what make us human, so to speak. By rejecting our feelings, our humanity, what do we hope to gain?" for one of the first times in his life Anakin was speechless, Ahsoka was so much like him it was like trying to win an argument over himself "Ahsoka it's a Jedi's duty to put their feelings aside for the good of the galaxy, there is no emotion, only peace".

"yeah I know the Jedi code, but some emotions, hope, caring, love, can you honestly tell me that those can't bring peace?"

"I'm not saying they can't bring peace, but the can be used against us. If the Jedi want to be the galaxy's peacekeepers then we can't afford those feelings"

"master listen to yourself!, your asking me not to be human!"

Anakin rose to feet "no Ahsoka I'm asking you to be a Jedi!" both Jedi turned from each other, Ahsoka went back to her bed while Anakin quickly walked to the window. Sensing his padawan had laid down Anakin let a few minutes of silence go undisturbed, once his heart rate returned to normal he decided to go with a more direct approach "who is it?"

"what?"

"master Yoda sensed an attachment in you Ahsoka, who is it?"

"is that what all this has been about?, master is I don't have an attachment to anything but the force"

Anakin kept his gaze away from his padawan "Ahsoka I want to help you, we can still stop this from interfering with your training" a small hand grabbed his own before he had time to react.

Ahsoka turned her master around and looked him straight in the eyes "master...just this once...please...trust me, I can take care of myself".

Anakin wanted desperately to break eye contact but something on his padawans face told them that would be a very bad idea "Snips I trust you completely, but what I want you to understand is I'm always here if you need to talk. I know sometimes I come off as a bit inconsiderate but I do care about you Ahsoka".

"I know you do master, thank you" Ahsoka rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Anakin's waist, Anakin cringed a bit at the sudden contact but pulled himself together long enough to put one arm around the small of the girls back.

* * *

><p>Barriss walked out the door before she could hear any of her masters conversation with Ahsoka, not knowing what to do with herself she started wandering the many halls of the Resolute 'not often I have time by myself, master Skywalker didn't give me any orders so I guess I'm supposed to just preoccupy myself till...' her thoughts were cut short as she rounded a corner and ran directly into a familiar clone.<p>

She hit the ground butt first as captain Rex immediately knelt down to help her to her feet "sorry about that sir, you okay?"

Barriss tried to ignore the embarrassment of being caught by surprise so easily "I'm fine captain Rex".

"commander Offee do you happen to know where Skywalker is?"

"he's having a talk with his padawan"

"I see"

Barriss could plainly see the look of urgency on the clones face "is there a problem captain Rex?, maybe I can help"

"no problem sir, its just if we want to reach Felucia at the designated time we need to make the jump to hyperspace now and there's no one on the bridge to authorize it"

Barriss started towards the bridge waving for Rex to follow "I can do that captain Rex".

Rex easily kept stride beside the small padawan "you can just call me Rex sir"

"very well Rex" Barriss smiled lightly before looking away from the clone beside her, ever since her fist mission she had found it difficult to communicate with the clone soldiers 'I don't know how Ahsoka finds this so easy, how do I connect with someone who only knows killing?'. Rex answered as though he had heard her thoughts "don't spend much time around clones do you sir?"

"I'm sorry Rex, I don't mean to be so cold"

"that's not what I meant sir, but in my experience almost all Jedi are wary of me and my brothers at first. I think some of them start off thinking we're heartless killers"

"I would never think that Rex"

"I'm not saying I blame them sir, killing is what we were made for after all. But we also have a reason to fight, every clone that comes out of Kamino is my brother. I have a family, and I'm willing to fight and die to protect them"

"that's very noble, but if you don't mind there was always one question I wanted to ask a clone"

"of course not sir"

"if serving was a choice, if the senate did not make it treason for a clone not to fight in the war, would you still be here?" the answer came sooner than Barriss thought it would, Rex obviously needed no time to think "I've seen hundreds of my brothers die in the field, even some Jedi. Each mission I've ever been on is drilled into my head like an endless dream, war is hell sir, but sitting in some bar on Corusant while my brothers fight and die honorably, nothing would destroy me more" the last few words came out of the clones mouth with a sense of sheer will behind them. There was no question in Barriss' mind that Rex would do anything to protect his brothers.

"truer words were never spoken Rex" taking one last turn onto the bridge Barriss rose her voice enough that every clone working at their respected terminals could hear her "prepare to jump to hyperspace on my mark".

The clones working in the lower parts of the bridge immediately began typing commands and flipping switches, after a short silence Rex spoke up behind her "all systems are ready commander".

Barriss pulled the purple hood down off her head letting her short black hair flow in front of her face, the weight of her lightsaber on her hip became increasingly apparent as she let a sly grin cross her face "hit it boys!".


	9. Unlikely Allies

_**An impenetrable base!, hoping to finally gain control over the jungle planet Felucia the Jedi council order Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, along with his padawans Barriss Offee and Ahsoka Tano, to destroy a separatist base shrouded in mystery. But as our heroes are about to learn, the base houses a hidden secret, one that could prove to be too much for them to handle...alone.**_

**Chapter 9: Unlikely Allies**

Barriss stood at the bridge window of the Resolute with her hands folded behind her back, going through light speed the Jedi cruiser looked to the human eye to be flying through a large dark blue tunnel with no end in sight "sir we've reached the half way mark between us and Felucia".

A clone sitting at a large terminal almost directly under her spoke up, Barriss nodded to the clone "thank you" as much as she would like to admit to herself her mind was solely focused on the mission the fact couldn't have been further from the truth. No instead one thought, one person, was all that floated around inside her head 'Ahsoka' the name threatened to envelope every inch of her soul and Barriss had half a mind to let it.

As if on cue the soothing presence of her closest friend entered the bridge behind her, Barriss didn't need to turn around to know Ahsoka now stood directly behind her 'are you okay?'

'I'll be fine, he doesn't know about us'

Barriss felt a large knot finally untie in her stomach 'but he has his suspicions'

Ahsoka shrugged and moved aside her, taking a moment to look out the bridge window before turning 'maybe, but let him wonder, we both knew when this started it wasn't going to be easy'

'what's the fun in something that's easy?, but in all seriousness we will have to be a lot more secretive than in the past'

Ahsoka let a sly grin cross her face 'I like secretive'

Barriss couldn't help but smile 'leave it to you to find something attractive about all this'. "I see you got everything handled up here Raven" the familiar power of her master entered the bridge along with his words, Barriss turned and bowed slightly as Anakin approached "we're halfway to Felucia master".

"Good work, why don't you let me take things from here. It's been a long day, you two should get some rest".

* * *

><p>It wasn't until her legs hit the bed that Barriss realized just how right her master had been, she got so caught up in the thrill of the mission to come she forgot just how much she had been through today. Beside the bed Ahsoka began to strip off her boots and toss them to the floor "I wish I could lay with you"<p>

"I know Ahsoka, but I don't think Anakin would just shake that off like he did the footsie thing earlier"

Ahsoka's head turned immediately "he saw that?"

"sort of, I think he was too focused on flying the ship"

"well either way this still sucks, I can't wait till this mission is over"

"you make it sound like we already destroyed that base?" Barriss asked

"oh don't worry about that, Anakin will come up with some crazy plan that almost gets us killed but works out in the end. Just like always"

"I'm looking forward to it" with a light smile another thought entered Barriss' mind "hey can I ask you a question?"

Ahsoka nodded her head lightly as she carefully removed the padawan braid jewelery from the back of her head "ask me anything"

"when we first met on Geonosis, what did you think of me?"

"honestly?"

"of course"

"well to put it blunt I was jealous"

Barriss held back a small laugh "your kidding"

"no really, Barriss when I first saw you I finally saw what I wanted to be. I mean you were smarter than me, stronger than me, you memorized that tunnel system perfectly, but most of all I saw the relationship I wanted to have with my master"

"how so?"

"Luminara trusted you enough to put you in harms way without a second thought, that's something I don't think Anakin would ever do for me. Don't get me wrong he's a great master, he's as smart as master Yoda and as strong as master Windu but..."

"but sometimes he can be overprotective" Barriss had known her friend long enough to finish the sentence without hesitation

"exactly, like when we went to rescue master Piell from the Citadel I had to stow away just to go on the mission and Anakin still fought me every step of the way" Ahsoka finally unhooked the jewelery and floated it gently across the room to the small counter by the door "I mean what do I have to do to show him I'm not some helpless young-ling?".

Barriss crossed her arms behind her head "I'm afraid I don't have the answer to that question Ahsoka, but if it helps when you and Anakin are together I can always sense his respect for you". The words seemed to offer little comfort to her friend but Ahsoka did offer a small smile before she pulled herself up to the sleeping chamber above.

Barriss began to close her eyes when movement above her forced them to reopen. Ahsoka's bare hand dangled playfully inches away from her face, with a smile of her own Barriss grasped the hand and closed her eyes "goodnight"

"night".

* * *

><p>Barriss breathed in deeply the second her boot hit the muddy ground of Felucia "it's been so long since I've been this close to nature, I love planets like this"<p>

Anakin moved beside her from the bottom of the T-6 shuttles landing pad and pulled his rarely worn Jedi robe's hood over his head "are you crazy?, it's pouring".

It wasn't until her master strode out in front of her that Barriss realized just how right he was, all along the thick brush that surrounded them was giant puddles of rain and heavy clouds overhead gave no sign of the thick rainfall slowing down anytime soon "I like the rain, besides a little water never hurt anybody"

"true but a lot of water can, rainfall in Felucia is famous for it's flash floods" as Barriss made a mental note of the new fact yet another figure clad in a small brown Jedi robe moved past her.

Making more than an effort for their hands to brush together as she passed Ahsoka too pulled the robes hood over her head, the Togruta's montrals leaving two small bumps in the top of the hood "not sure I share your enthusiasm Barriss, rain just means there's one more thing to worry about in a fight".

Anakin turned to both his padawan "cut the chatter you two" the Jedi Knight brought his com-link to his face while using his free hand to cover the device from the rain "Rex you know the drill, two hour recon of the base before we met at the designated rendezvous".

Barriss couldn't hear the reply over the rain falling around them but Anakin quickly lowered his arm and started down the small dirt path in front of them, taking stride at the back of the three person group she glanced around as they walked. Everything from mushrooms the size of a speeder to bugs the size of her fist swayed and flew around them as all three struggled to walk through the mud, after a few minutes of walking Anakin stopped and pulled out a small pair of binoculars from his belt.

Thankful for the rest Barriss leaned back on a large blue rock and focused on the feeling of the heavy rain flattening her black hair against her scalp, by the time her master waved for them to keep moving her bangs had formed into a thick mess in front of her face.

Anakin looked back to check on his padawan and upon seeing Barriss couldn't hold back a dry laugh "might want to put your hood up Barriss, and Felucian snails don't like it when you lean on them"

Barriss quickly jumped back and looked more closely at what had been a rock just moments ago, the snails slimy head pocked out from it's shell long enough to look at her before it slowly began turning away and into the jungle "sorry buddy, thought you were a rock".

* * *

><p>"Get down" Barriss hit the mud the second after the words left her masters mouth, her instincts ignoring the splash of dirt and rocks that hit her face. She laid there completely still, one hand on the lightsaber clipped to her waist, ready to fight on a moments notice. "It's clear, go, go" Once again Anakin's words made her instincts kick in, she rose to her feet and felt the adrenaline flow through her body as her master took off at a crouched run into the jungle.<p>

A slight sting hit her face as she followed through the thick brush with Ahsoka close behind, soon enough her eyes caught the same movement her master had seen back on the path.

Two battle droids stumbled through a small dirt path ahead of them, each armed with a blaster and the familiar shine of grenades at their sides, looking ahead at her master crouched behind a thick bush a slight nod was the only confirmation she needed. Raising a hand in uniformity with her master Barriss brought the closest droid off his feet, before either droid could mutter a word they were meet with the blade of a blue lightsaber.

Barriss watched as her master ended the other droid and each laid the remains gently on the ground beside them, they were running again before she had to catch her breath. Barriss finally gave in to the urge to push her wet bangs out of her face as Anakin led them to the same path the droids had been taking, as quietly as they could she spoke up to her master several feet in front of her "master won't the enemy send a search team out for the droids?".

Anakin stopped next to the dirt path and glanced down it in both directions before standing to his full height "doesn't matter, they already know we're here. Those two recon droids have been following us for a good fifteen minutes now".

Barriss looked behind them and just caught a glimpse of two small floating orbs as they ducked behind a nearby tree "should we take care of them master?"

Anakin shook his head and began to lead the way down the path "not until I know why we've been allowed to go this far without a significant fight". Barriss looked back once more to make sure Ahsoka was keeping stride but her friends crystal clear

blue eyes were to busy scanning the area around them to notice, she focused her attention back in front of her just in time to see her master hold up a closed first.

She stopped in her tracks as Anakin brought up his Jedi binoculars "we're close but this path leads right to the seppies front door, up for some more hiking you two?" it was more of a statement than a question and Barriss knew any attempt at an alternative would be shot down "whatever you say master".

More than a slight grin crossed her masters mud splattered face as he led the way off the path and into the thick jungle landscape, the rainfall only seemed to increase as Barriss' tired feet ran behind her masters trail.

'if the base is this far out the separatists must be working on something they really want kept secret' Ahsoka's words sounded clear as day in her head and Barriss suddenly realized how much she missed her friends voice just in the past few minutes of silence.

Pushing the feeling to the back of her mind she was snapped back into the present when Anakin snapped his lightsaber to life and hacked away at a few large branches in their way "still love nature Raven?"

"of course master".

* * *

><p>Barriss dropped to her stomach in between Anakin and Ahsoka and pulled out her own pair of Jedi binoculars but the sight of the base in front of her kept her from using them. Gigantic metal walls blocked any view of what was housed inside the base but it was the building that jetted from the bases interior that caught her attention.<p>

The jet black tower was over ten stories tall and covered completely in crystal clear windows on the side facing them, inside she could just make out the sight of several large creatures all being held by electric chains "what are those things in the tower?"

Anakin brought his binoculars up towards the position she pointed "rancors, a lot of them. Looks like the seppies are trying to make some new pets".

Ahsoka squinted in the towers direction "more like slaves, I doubt those rancors are there voluntarily"

Barriss once again brought her binoculars up, this time concentrating on the walls "no way we're making it over those walls quickly enough to launch a full scale attack"

Anakin nodded slowly "and those gun emplacements on the front wall won't help either, well I think we know enough to come up with...hello what's this?" Barriss followed her masters gaze to the bases front gate just in time to watch the two heavily armored main doors slowly open, as she brought her binoculars up two tanks hovered out the large dirt path towards the jungle.

Looking closer she noticed something odd about the first tank, a blue skinned Duros sporting a rather large brown cowboy hat stood on the vehicles side "there's someone on the first tank master".

Anakin didn't bother looking closer "Cad Bane"

"who?" Barriss asked

Ahsoka answered for her master "the bounty hunter who stole the Jedi holocron from the temple a few months back, that sleaze balls been off the radar ever since he escaped master Obi-Wan. Guess now we know why"

Barriss took a minute to remember the full report on the bounty hunter she had read after the holocron heist "wonder what he's doing here?". Anakin stood to his feet and waved for them to follow, once the base was out of sight he stretched out a single arm, Barriss fought back the urge to jump as two recon droids were pulled out from the Jungle and squished by an invisible force.

The small droids hit the ground with a series of loud beeps as Anakin started moving again "if Cad Banes here then we know why those droids didn't send out an alert to the base, Bane wants us to find him. But that doesn't change the fact that that base needs to go up in smoke, it just means we have a chance to capture a bounty hunter in the process".

* * *

><p>By the time they met up with Rex and the rest of clones they had the camp already set up, a circle of tents surrounded a makeshift fire that provided their only source of light in the quickly darkening landscape. Barriss walked up to the fire and immediately put her hands up to the warming flame, her still wet skin quickly began to dry. Ahsoka walked up beside her "at least the rain finally stopped, by the way you didn't happen to bring a brush along did you?".<p>

Barriss shook her head "no, why?"

Ahsoka's vision glanced upward towards her friends hair but quickly turned away "no reason" Barriss ran a nervous hand through her still wet hair and just started to look around for something reflective when her masters voice caught her attention "Snips, Raven over here".

Thankful for something else to focus on Barriss pulled her hood over her head before joining Anakin and Ahsoka, Anakin held up a small holopad in front of her as she approached. She recognized the images of masters Obi-Wan and Windu as they appeared, Windu's hologram looked up at Anakin "Skywalker, do you have an update on the mission?".

Anakin bowed as much as he could while keeping the holopad between all three of them "yes master, we've confirmed the bases location and found out the separatists have several rancor held captive inside"

Obi-Wan rubbed his beard thoughtfully "they must be trying to find a way to use the rancor as a controlled weapon".

Barriss tried to hold her tongue but something inside forced her to speak "masters shouldn't we try and free those creatures?, it doesn't seem right to destroy a base with so many innocent beings inside".

Master Windu took a moment to consider her words "your padawans right Skywalker, leaving those beasts caged is not the Jedi way" much to her surprise Anakin nodded his head "I figured you would say that master, thankfully I've come up with a plan that will satisfy everyone. But before we get to that there is one more thing you should know, Cad Bane seems to be in charge of the base".

Obi-Wan's face remained unreadable "interesting that they would trust a bounty hunter to run their entire base but I guess I can't argue with Banes track record. So what about your plan?" The image on the holopad quickly changed to a rough image of the separatists base and the surrounding area.

Before Anakin started to talk several blue dots appeared in front of the bases front gate "me, Rex and the rest of the clones will draw out Bane and the bulk of his forces and get them as far away from the base as possible". As Anakin continued the blue dots went a ways down the map followed by a group of red dots as two new yellow dots appeared by the bases side wall "with Bane and forces distracted Ahsoka and Barriss can sneak inside the base, plant the explosives, free the rancors, and blow the place sky high".

The bases image disappeared and was quickly replaced by Windu and Obi-Wan, master Windu nodded approvingly but cast at worried glance at Barriss and Ahsoka "are you sure your padawans are ready for such a dangerous assignment?".

Anakin's answer didn't miss a beat "they can handle themselves, can't you girls" despite herself Barriss couldn't help the pride filled smile that spread across her face as her and Ahsoka answered at the exact same time "it will be done master".

Anakin looked back to the holopad with a rather large grin "we'll contact you when the base is destroyed" Windu and Obi-Wan both bowed as their images disappeared.

Barriss watched as captain Rex approached her master, after a military salute the clone began looking through a data pad in his hand "fire's built, stealth shields will take care of any animals that try to wander into camp, and the tents are up, everything's accounted for sir".

Anakin moved a single finger around the camp as he silently counted the tents "we seem to be short one tent"

Rex counted the tents himself before looking back to his data pad "looks like no one informed the crew about your extra padawan sir".

Anakin shrugged the problem away "it's fine, Ahsoka and Barriss can share a tent" Barriss wiped the smile off her face as Anakin turned to her "that's okay with you two right?".

* * *

><p>Barriss watched from inside her tent as the flame outside was put out and the small lights inside every tent in the camp slowly went dark, Ahsoka shifted beside her long enough to turn off the light in their tent before pressing her body against the other girls.<p>

As her eyes adjusted to the darkness Barriss was just able to make out her friends outline, a chill went through her body as she nuzzled closer and began to feel Ahsoka's breath on her neck "it feels like forever since we've been able to do this".

The breath on her neck was quickly replaced by the warm press of lips as Ahsoka lightly kissed her neck, every pore on her body stood on end. "Ahsoka" the name barely escaped her lips but was more than enough to catch her friends attention "you okay?".

Barriss looked into the crystal clear blue eyes in front of her "your Lekku is shining again" along with the words she began to gently stroke the girls back Lekku.

Ahsoka couldn't hide the grin from her face as she attempted a sexy accent "whats the matter?, afraid someone will see". Even though the accent was meant to be a joke it succeeded in sending another chill through Barriss' body, using her hand to pull Ahsoka's lips against her own happened almost by instinct. The ripple of pleasure she had first experienced on the senate buildings roof came back ten fold as she moved her lips in perfect unison with Ahsoka's, then something happened that she knew right away she'd remember to the day she died and beyond.

When she started to pull back from the kiss Ahsoka wrapped a single arm around the back of her head and pulled her in again, a slight wave of confusion was quickly replaced by endless ecstasy as Ahsoka's soft tongue entered her mouth.

Barriss let out a passionate moan as the tongue explored every inch of her mouth, it wasn't until her mind finally caught up

with what was happening that she regained enough control of her body to return the gesture. It was then when time came to a complete halt, she lost all track of anything and everything and it didn't bother her in the slightest, they could have been together for hours or seconds but either way the moment was one of the best in her life thus far.

She was sure her heart would explode when Ahsoka finally pulled back to catch her breath, Barriss kept her mouth agape as she struggled to contain herself "I love you". Her own words made her heart stop but they came out so easily and so passionately there was no going back now, if Ahsoka was shocked she sure knew how to hide it.

For a few seconds of silence Barriss could hear nothing but her own ferocious heart beat as Ahsoka's face remained unreadable, with all the strength and passion of someone twice her age Ahsoka let a crooked grin cross her face "I know".

* * *

><p>Barriss woke up as a beam of sunlight came through the small crack in the tents door and shined directly in her eyes, the silhouette of several people walking around outside could easily be seen through the tents thin fabric. As she moved to get up a strange weight kept her down, looking down she saw Ahsoka's head and chest laying across her waist 'girl really moves around in her sleep'.<p>

With a small wave of her hand Ahsoka's body lifted upwards and floated through the air before being set down softly beside her, Ahsoka moaned lightly but didn't wake up. After grabbing her duffel bag she had used for an improvised pillow she crawled out of the tent as quietly as she could, Felucia's warm air filled her lungs as she stood to her full height.

Most of the clones in Rex's squadron sat around the pit of ashes that used to be a blazing fire, seeing her walk up Rex took of his helmet and stood at attention "Skywalker already headed out to scout the area sir"

"at ease Rex, any idea if the streams nearby are okay to wash up in?" Barriss asked, still trying to hide her hair from eyesight.

"figured you'd want to get cleaned up sir, we set up a purifier at the nearby stream so it should be safe enough" Rex pointed a dirt path that snaked its way through the forest "just follow that path, if you like I can have someone escort you?".

Barriss pulled her lightsaber from her bag before shaking her head "that's okay Rex I can handle it, if Ahsoka wakes up can you tell her where I am?"

"of course sir"

* * *

><p>Of course Ahsoka was still asleep by the time she got back but a clean head of hair and the smell of Felucia's water still emanating from her pores would give the girl something a bit more pleasant to wake up too, Barriss stepped inside the tent long enough to kiss her friend gently on the neck "better get up now if want to get cleaned up before Anakin gets back".<p>

Ahsoka opened her eyes "already did"

She opened her mouth to question the statement but after a closer look it was clear her friend was telling the truth "when did you do that?"

Ahsoka sat up and stretched before answering "last night after you fell asleep, I couldn't sleep so I decided to go for a walk"

"a walk on Felucia isn't a good idea Ahsoka, do you have any idea how many animals and plants on this planet can kill you?"

"201 and 364 respectively, I know how to take of my myself"

Barriss could hear the defensive tone in Ahsoka's words all to well but perhaps she did come off a bit to strong "that's not what I meant Ahsoka, I just don't want anything to happen to you".

Ahsoka smiled and planted a light kiss on her check before walking past her and out the tent "I'm not going anywhere Barriss" following her friend out the tent both girls ran head first into the chest of their master.

Anakin smiled down at his padawans "that's not true Snips, your gonna go free some blood thirsty killing machines"

Barriss opened her mouth before Ahsoka could come up with a witty remark of her own "master I'm not second guessing your plan but I do see one problem, after we release the rancor won't they try and...yeah know kill us".

Her master led them to the middle of camp and handed both of them a backpack before finally answering the question "that's one of the reasons you two are dealing with the base instead of me, rancors might be known for their nasty temper but there long arms make any attempt to strike rather slow. You two have the evasiveness necessary to dodge their blows while leading them out of the base"

Ahsoka crossed her arms "wow master a compliment, that's rare"

"hey I try Snips" the look on Ahsoka's face forced Barriss to step in between the two Jedi "perhaps we should get moving, no time like the present ya know".

* * *

><p>Anakin raced his speeder bike down the large dirt path as fast as it would allow without exploding 'wish I would have had some time to work on this piece of junk' the separatists base loomed overhead casting most of the surrounding area in darkness. Adrenaline flowed through every inch of his body as he pulled the speeder to a skidding stop in front of the bases main gate "Cad Bane!".<p>

Igniting his lightsaber for dramatic effect alone he watched as the bounty hunters familiar figure appeared on top the bases front wall "Skywalker!, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

"by order of the grand army of the republic I place you under arrest!"

Banes pure blood red eyes squinted in his direction "you think I'm a fool Skywalker!, a Jedi would never waltz up and single handily try to arrest me!. What's your game?".

Although he was rather enjoying screwing with the bounty hunters head a flash on his com-link told him it was time for phase two, after hitting his com-link as way of confirmation for the plan to set in motion two giant red proton torpedoes rose from the jungle behind him arched perfectly towards the base "I never show up single handed bounty hunter!".

Anakin tried to put as much emotion into his words as possible before he hopped back on his speeder and took off, the bases usually invisible shield shone bright blue as the torpedoes hit their mark. As he drove off without so much as a look back he could hear Cad Banes rage filled voice following him down the dirt path "gets those tanks moving you fools!, don't let Skywalker get away!".

* * *

><p>Barriss watched her master led the bounty hunter away just like he had planned "I can't believe that worked"<p>

Ahsoka ran past her and pushed her body against the bases side wall "this is too easy, keep you eyes open once we're in there Bane isn't as stupid as he looks. He has to have a plan of his own" joining Ahsoka by the wall Barriss cupped her fingers together and nodded up the large wall "you ready for this?".

Her words were answered as Ahsoka ran straight towards her and placed one foot in her cupped hands, with the combined power of both padawans Ahsoka rose straight through the air and landed gently on the bases top wall.

For a few of the scariest moments in her life Barriss watched her friend disappear from sight, her heart beat hit relentlessly against her chest 'come on, come on'.

She almost let out a joy filled laugh when Ahsoka's hand appeared dangling from the top of the wall 'a little impatient aren't we?' using as much power as she could gather she tensed her muscles and jumped with aid from the force. Her hand just grasp that of Ahsoka's at the peak of her jump, her friend let out a small grunt as she was pulled over the wall.

With a silent nod shared between them Barriss jumped down the walls opposite end and into the base, Ahsoka hit the ground beside her as she glanced around the bases interior. Her masters plan had obviously worked as not even a single battle droid remained in the large open area in front of her, in fact the only thing that remained in the base besides the tower was the two gun emplacements by the main door and a few scattered tanks that looked to be in pretty bad condition.

Following Ahsoka's lead Barriss ran across the large metal floor of the base towards the tower, as they neared the door a loud roar stopped both Jedi in their tracks. Ahsoka was the first to pull herself back together "those are the things we're here to save?, you just had to speak up in front of the council didn't you"

Barriss looked up at the large glass windows above her and fought the knot in her stomach "these creatures are innocent Ahsoka, you know as well as I do it's our duty to save them". Rather than wait for a reply Barriss opened the door into the base and stepped inside, the first floor of the base housed nothing beside a couple rows of computer terminals and a handful of empty chairs "we have to do this quick, it looks like the bounty hunter took every droid in the base with him".

"Anakin and Rex brought more than enough fire power do deal with that sleaze ball, but you're right the sooner we get done here the sooner we can go help them" Ahsoka started towards the elevator on the opposite side of the room.

Barriss took a moment to check outside before turning from the door and following her friend "right behind you".

* * *

><p>The deafening blast of rocket fire killed Anakin's eardrums as he directed the lasers speeding by him back to their source, more separatist tanks than he could count slowly hovered in their direction and the dense jungle wasn't going to hold them back forever.<p>

Ducking back behind his speeder for cover he glanced over to Rex who blind fired one of his two pistols towards the platoon of battle droids several feet away, Anakin stood to his feet long enough to pull two of the droids off their feet and throw them backwards into their comrades "we have to pull back to the field!, it will take Bane some time to get those tanks through the jungle!".

Rex turned to his brothers taking cover at the various trees behind him "you heard the general!, pull back!".

* * *

><p>Nothing Barriss had ever seen before gave her such mixed emotions as the row of chained rancor in front of her, each creatures long arms and stubby legs were held in place by electric chains that fed a painful amount of electricity into any of the large creatures that tried to move. But the sympathy she had for these creatures was quickly replaced by fear as she got closer to them, each rancor was the size of an average ship and razor sharp claws jetting from their hands and feet only added to their magnitude.<p>

As she walked across the room the snarls of each rancor brought a chill through her spine but she fought the feeling long enough to make her way to the control panel at the edge of the cages "looks pretty simple, just press the button and our big friends here are free".

Ahsoka walked to the rooms opposite side and glanced out the window "we should probably have the bombs set up before anything else, throw me your pack and I'll take of it" Barriss did what was asked of her and threw her pack to Ahsoka, leaning against the back wall she watched as her friend shattered the window with a wave of her hand and leaped down three stories to the ground below.

Once she was alone Barriss focused her attention back on the rancors, guessing the biggest one was the mother she walked up to the middle cage and looked in the creatures eyes "don't worry big girl, we're here to help you and your friends get out of these cages and back into the wild".

If it wasn't for the thousands of stories in the Jedi archives that told her rancor were ruthless savages Barriss would of swore she saw the rancors eyes light up. Quickly realizing it was the stupidest thing in the universe she extended a hand into the cage and gently patted the rancors large arm, the creatures eyes widened at the contact but it remained motionless "there there girl, just a while longer".

A loud mechanical noise behind her caused her hand to pull back and her head to turn, she had to blink several times before her mind would accept the view outside. Around nearly every inch of the bases interior large circles had opened in the metal floor, a squadron of super battle droids appeared from half while separatist tanks appeared from the other. Barriss' mind lurched as Ahsoka looked around desperately from below and activated her two lightsabers 'a little help honey'.

Barriss was about to take the leap down when a thought crossed her mind, without really thinking it through she ran back across the room and hit the button to release the rancors.

* * *

><p>Anakin was the last one to retreat from the safety of the jungle, the suns harsh rays beat down upon his already battle drained body as he ran across the field towards the circle of speeders and AT-TE's where the clones had taken refuge. Only after leaping over his speeder and crouching behind Rex did he take the time to catch his breath "we can't hold out here for long!, if those tanks make it into the clearing we're done!"<p>

Rex ordered the rest of the clones to take up defensive positions "my men are ready to fight to their last breath sir!"

"I appreciate that Rex!, but if Ahsoka and Barriss pull through with their part of the plan it'll give us the distraction necessary to get the hell out of here!. We just have to buy them some more time!" As the last of the words left his mouth the sounds of blaster fire from both sides came to a sudden and rather creepy stop.

Anakin stood to his full height just in time to see Cad Bane walk out of the jungle with a entire platoon of droids at his back "we'll it seems your plan worked beautifully Skywalker!, you lured me away from my base long enough to get two young girls killed!, bravo Jedi!".

Anakin's fury reached it's breaking point "if anything happens to them!..." before he was able to finish the first of the separatist tanks pushed it's way into the clearing. Cad Bane laughed maniacally as he jumped onto the tanks top and climbed inside, Anakin ignited his lightsaber as the tanks main gun slowly swiveled in his direction.

* * *

><p>To her surprise the rancor didn't immediately burst from their cages, instead each giant head turned too the middle cage where the largest rancor slowly stepped from it's former prison. Barriss felt her heart beat against her chest as the mother rancor looked directly at her, 'remember my young padawan, the force emanates inside every living thing' master Luminara's words echoed through her mind as her now rubber legs walked in front of the large beast.<p>

While trying to ignore the trails of saliva dripping from the rancors mouth Barriss extended a hand forward, putting all her will into the force she half spoke, half thought towards the large beast "I liberated your family, please help me save my friends'.

A loud roar from each rancor was the only response she received "please I beg of you, they're my family, I love them' as she opened her eyes the mother rancor took a few steps closer. Barriss looked straight up at the monsters several rows of sharp teeth as she was sure they were about to be formally introduced but instead of another roar the mother rancor ran directly past her and stopped at the window before lowering her back. Barriss didn't waist time in climbing onto the rancors back, after finding a good grip with her legs one large force push busted every window in front of her.

With a blood curdling roar the mother rancor jumped from the building followed closely by it's only slightly smaller family, the shock wave of the creatures hitting the metal floor knocked more than a few tanks off balance and almost kicked Barriss off the mothers back.

As she regained her composure long enough to stand the blue blade of her lightsaber appeared in front of her just in time to block a laser blast "focus on the tanks!". Not waiting to see if the rancors understood her command she jumped off the rancors back and ran straight through a barrage of laser fire towards Ahsoka, her friend was pinned down by a platoon of super battle droids.

Barriss leaped past the droids and gracefully landed beside Ahsoka while taking a few droids out for good measure "need some help?"

Ahsoka let a grin cross her face as she slashed at the droid in front of her, the droids metal body hit the ground in two pieces cut down the middle "would be nice". Raising her lightsaber Barriss began to charge into the group of droids but before she could make one swing the mother rancor barreled through the entire group on her way towards the tank that had already aimed in their direction.

The large creature wrapped two clawed hands around the tanks barrel partly crushing it on impact, Barriss leaped out of the way just in time to watch the rancor lift the tank as though it were made of plastic and throw it across the base resulting in an explosion that ripped apart the bases main gate.

Ahsoka leaped back with her lightsabers crossed in front of her face "holy shit you let them loose!"

Barriss had to hold back a laugh as the mother rancor stopped in front of her and bowed once again "it's okay, they're on our side...I think". After climbing on the rancors back she reached out an arm towards Ahsoka "just trust me, I know your dying to try this"

Ahsoka reluctantly walked up the rancors tail and grabbed her hand "dying is precisely what I'm afraid of". Looking around Barriss couldn't help but be a little proud of herself as the rancors completely decimated the droid army, the regular troops being no problem for the large creatures and the tanks only taking a few of the smaller rancors to defeat. Two rancor ripped apart a tank only a few feet away with their large claws while the others either plowed through the small troops or threw the tanks around like rag dolls.

Ahsoka's voice brought her back to reality "we should go help Skyguy" Barriss put a hand on the mother rancors large head 'tell your family to get as far away from this base as possible, we have to go help our friends'. Barriss tightened her grip on Ahsoka's hand as the mother rancor let out another ear piercing battle cry, the girls had just enough time to find a handhold on the creatures back before it charged forward and plowed through what remained of the front gate.

* * *

><p>Riding on the mother rancors back Barriss was amazed how fast they ran through the dense jungle, any trees big enough to block their way were either sliced in half from one of Ahsoka's lightsabers or simply pushed aside by the rancors giant arms.<p>

Pockets of sunlight hit Barriss' eyes as she struggled to look ahead "for someone against cute nicknames I couldn't help but notice you called me honey back there" she tried to hide the smirk on her face as she looked back at Ahsoka.

To her credit Ahsoka simply smiled at the thought "I was surrounded by tinnies at the time, obviously I wasn't thinking clearly"

"whatever you say...honey" Barriss did her best to draw out the last word longer than necessary.

Once again Ahsoka's smile widened "now you're pushing it". The sound of nearby laser fire got both girls attention, as soon as they turned their heads the mother rancor crashed through the last batch of trees and ran straight into a large field.

In the middle of the field Barriss could easily spot her masters blue lightsaber among the midst of clone troopers, the large barrel of a separatist tank slowly turned in his direction "go for the tank girl!". All laser fire came to a screeching halt as the mother rancor charged across the field and directly into the tank, the torpedo from the tank fired uselessly through the air as the rancor picked up the tanks bottom and lifted it above it's large head with another battle cry.

Cad Banes blue form appeared from the top of the tank with his hover boots already activated, before anyone could react he shot off away from the battle and into the jungle. As their commander fled the battle each droid looked

around helplessly as the mother rancor threw the tank like a bowling ball taking out every single droid the the few remaining tanks.

Howling cheers from the clones could be heard as Barriss helped Ahsoka down off the rancors back before jumping down herself, Anakin pushed his speeder out of the way and took a few reluctant steps towards them "great job you two, worthy of recognition in the Jedi archives, but how did you?..." their master ended his words with a casual wave towards the mother rancor.

Barriss simply shrugged "I'm not really sure master" turning back to the panting rancor she extended a hand towards the creature "I can never repay you for what you've done today, now please, go be with your family".

Yet another battle cry was the rancors only response as it turned back to the jungle and took off at a run, each step from the powerful creature shook the ground under her feet. Once the creature disappeared from view she turned back to Anakin.

Her master looked at the path of destruction the rancor had left in amazement "the council will definitely want to hear about this, but aren't you two forgetting one last thing?" her mind a blank Barriss turned to Ahsoka.

Ahsoka thought for a moment before pulling a small detonator from her pocket "oh yeah, sorry master" all heads in the field, Jedi and clone alike, turned to the tower still visible in the distance as Ahsoka pressed down on the detonator. Barriss felt a wave of accomplishment wash over her as the separatist base rocked the very planet with one of the biggest explosions she had ever seen.


	10. An Awkward Investigation

_**A list of lovers!, after an impressive victory on the planet Felucia Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, along with his padawans Barriss Offee and Ahsoka Tano, report to the Jedi council for their mission review. But unbeknownst to the headstrong Jedi Knight, master Kenobi has come up with a plan to finally root out the source of Ahsoka's attachment.**_

**Chapter 10: An Awkward Investigation**

Master Yoda nodded thoughtfully from his seat in the Jedi councils chamber"Very impressive your story is, to mind trick a rancor a difficult challenge it is"

Barriss tried to hold her tongue, a compliment from master Yoda was enough to make her entire week but eventually she forced herself to shake her head "I didn't mink trick the rancor master, I simply asked her for help". Just for once she wished the masters of the council would let their feelings known through some form of facial expression but as usual each face in front of her was completely unreadable.

It was master Obi-Wan who finally broke the silence "rancor have never showed any signs of significant intelligence, how were you able to communicate with it?".

Barriss ran a nervous hand through her hair "well, through the force I think"

"did Ahsoka help you?" Obi-Wan's filled each word with compassion so much so that Barriss felt a little less tense as she turned to her friend.

Ahsoka returned her gaze before shrugging in Obi-Wan's direction "sorry master but I was surrounded by droids at the time, if I helped it had to be subconsciously". Master Yoda once again stepped down from his chair and asked for each girls hand, Barriss pulled her hood up so the other masters couldn't see her sweating as she extended her hand.

Yoda's presence surged through her so fast she barely felt it before it dissipated into nothing, master Yoda let go of both girls hands and nodded in appreciation "still under control the meld is, dismissed you both are".

* * *

><p>Anakin let loose a loud sigh as both his padawans left the council room "ya know I'm really getting tired of keeping secrets from them, please tell me we know something so we can put all this behind us?"<p>

Obi-Wan floated a data pad across the room "I contacted master Rues about the possibility of padawan Tyzen being the source of Ahsoka's feelings, she pretty much told me what you did Anakin. While the two did get along they haven't been in contact since their last mission together".

Anakin skimmed through the data pad with a raised eyebrow "what exactly is this?"

"a list of people Ahsoka has had extended contact with, I'm afraid the only way we're going to get to the bottom of this is by talking with each name on that list individually"

Anakin looked towards his former master "someone had some time on his hands"

"a simple thank you will suffice, now if you need some help we can split the list in two"

Anakin quickly shook his head "I appreciate the thought master but with all due respect I think this is something I should handle alone, besides I need something to do today anyway".

* * *

><p>Barriss took Ahsoka's hand as they walked down the hallway and steered her friend into the mess hall, sitting down at the plain white table closest to the door each girl let out a soft moan as their tired legs finally got a rest. "I tend to have that effect on women"<p>

Barriss turned her head towards the words ready to scold someones head off until she looked into the familiar brown eyes of James Clever "oh hello James, I forgot you work here now"

James pulled a old fashion pen and notepad out of the large apron he wore over his food splattered clothes "so what can I get the two most forgiving girls in the Jedi order".

Ahsoka offered a light smile as she spoke "just whatever you have ready will be fine James"

James shook his head defiantly "oh no nothing but the best for you two"

Barriss couldn't help but grin at the boy as he jotted down a few words on his notepad "ya know it still sounds like your hitting on us".

James brought his arms up in mock defense "I have no idea what you're taking about, jeez try to be nice to somebody and they just blow it all of proportion, ya know I have half a mind..." James continued to rant to himself as he walked off and disappeared behind the kitchen door.

Barriss struggled to hold back her laughter "ya know he may make a really bad first impression but James seems like a nice guy" Ahsoka opened her mouth to reply but a powerful presence stepping inside the mess hall stopped the words just short of her mouth. Anakin looked around the large room before spotting his padawans and walking over, Barriss motioned to the seat beside her "care to sit down master?"

"afraid I don't have that luxury today Raven, I just wanted to let you two know I'll be gone for most of the day so you have free reign of the temple. Just try and stay out of trouble"

Barriss did her best to answer the same time as Ahsoka "of course master".

* * *

><p>The Senate Building<p>

Anakin hopped out of his speeder and started towards the giant entrance to the senate building, seeing that three names on Obi-Wan's list started with the word senator he quickly decided this would be the best place to start. 'Lord this should be a fun day, hi everyone I've ever met I just stopped by to ask if you've been sleeping with my teenage padawan, no, oh then sorry to waste your time' Stepping inside the elevator and pressing the button for the senators offices the thought did little to ease the knot in his stomach, as the elevator made it's way up the large building he rechecked the first name on the list, senator Riyo Chuchi, 'Obi-Wan is gonna pay for this'.

As the doors opened in front of him Anakin walked out into the long hallway, each side of the extravagantly decorated hall housed a row of large doors with a name written clearly across the top. Anakin walked down the hall a few steps before reading Chuchi's name on a door to his left, after a few light knocks the senators voice could be heard inside "come in".

Anakin took a moment to take a few deep breaths before opening the door with a wave of his hand, Chuchi's office resembled almost every other office in the senate with a long desk facing away from a equally long window that cast a thick ray of sunlight through the open area between himself and the senator.

Chuchi's already bright features lit up as she looked up from her desk "general Skywalker, please come in" the senators innocent voice only made it harder to walk up and take a seat opposite her desk.

Anakin nodded to the blue skinned girl before speaking, choosing each word very carefully "a pleasure to see you again senator Chuchi, I only wish it was less troubling circumstances that brought me here"

a look of concern that seemed foreign on the senators face brought his heart to his throat "is something wrong Skywalker?, you sound upset".

Anakin shifted uncomfortably in his seat "it's nothing really, I just need to ask you a few questions"

"am I in some sort of trouble?"

Chuchi leaned back in her seat now fully engrossed in the conversation as Anakin waved a dismissive hand through the air "no not at all senator, this is more of a personal visit to be honest".

Chuchi got up from her desk and walked gracefully to the small bar at the side of the room "well in that case would you like something to drink?"

Anakin raised an eyebrow "I never took you as someone who would drink, are you even old enough?".

Chuchi filled the room with a lighthearted laugh "anyone in my line of work starts drinking after a certain point, but to answer your question yes I'm old enough" Anakin offered a light smile as he took the glass offered to him, taking a small sip from the red liquid he felt the soothing drink reach his stomach as the senator once again took her seat "so you want to ask me some questions?".

Anakin nodded as he set his glass down on the small table beside him "you're familiar with my padawan Ahsoka Tano correct?".

Much to his dismay Chuchi's eyes lit up "oh yes Ahsoka, such a sweet girl".

"yes...sweet, Ahsoka spoke very highly of you after your short time together so I assume you got along"

"yes very well, I'll admit I don't know much about the Jedi order but I can tell you're doing an excellent job raising her"

"well thank you but I feel we're getting a little off topic here, did Ahsoka show any...special interest in you?"

Chuchi seemed to take a moment before she understood "you mean physically?"

"I'm sorry we have to have this conversation senator but Ahsoka has formed an attachment and I can't rule anybody out"

"no I understand Skywalker, it's just a little surprising you would even consider me as an option"

"well you are one of the few people Ahsoka knows who isn't to far away age wise, and to put it frankly since she is a Jedi we have no clue as to her sexual orientation so we have to check every possible lead" the look on Chuchi's face was killing him but Anakin forced himself to continue "I guess what I'm asking is, have you had a physical relationship with Ahsoka?".

Chuchi was silent for a moment as she took a sip from her glass, the poor girl was unsuccessfully trying to hide the discomfort from her face "Skywalker I can tell you without a doubt that I've never had a...intimate encounter with your padawan".

Anakin stood from his chair and gently shook the senators hand "that's all I needed to hear senator, and please accept my apology for this entire visit"

"no need to apologize Skywalker, it's always nice to see a friendly face"

"likewise senator, have a pleasant day" Anakin turned and fought himself to not run out the door, once he finally found himself alone in the hallway he brought up Chuchi's name on the list and deleted it 'one down, it's gonna be a long ass day'.

* * *

><p>The Jedi Temple: Mess Hall<p>

"The meal was excellent James you can quit worrying" Barriss could easily

see the look of anxiety on the boys face as he walked up for the fourth or fifth time to check on them.

James let out a sigh of relief as he took the plates from the table "thank you so much, when master Obi-Wan told me I'd be the assistant chef I assumed their was a head chef but you know what they got be working with back there, freaking mouse droids, those poor excuses for hardware can barely reach the counter let alone cook. Don't get me wrong I'm good, but it would have been nice for a butler droid at least".

Ahsoka waved a hand towards the kitchen "ya know Skyguys been teaching me a thing or two about electronics, if you want I can try and tweak those droids a bit?"

James offered a light smile as he headed back towards the kitchen "then what would I have to complain about?, I'll see you girls later".

Barriss waited till James disappeared behind the kitchen door before standing to her feet "so what now?".

Ahsoka followed her out the mess and back into the hallway "how about since we have the whole day to ourselves we do that research we talked about, see if there's a special connection between out species".

"sounds like a plan"

* * *

><p>The Senate Building<p>

Anakin walked only a short way down the hall before he saw the door to the next name on his list,senator Bail Organa, a light knock was once again met with the usual "come in". As he stepped inside he was taken by surprise as Bail walked up to him with a stack of papers in his hands, Anakin used a slight will of the force to help the senator keep the papers from falling to the floor "sorry to bother you senator but I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions?".

Bail moved past him and headed for the door "that depends if you can ask and walk at the same time Skywalker, these forms have to be at the senates main office ten minutes ago"

Anakin followed the senator back out the door and down the hallway "well I just wanted know if you've noticed anything odd in my padawans behavior lately?"

Bail stopped just inches from the elevator "Ahsoka, no last time I saw her she seemed perfectly normal. I believe you asked her to deliver a data pad to me about a week ago"

"nothing out of the ordinary?, please senator anything you have to say will be a big help"

Bail was silent for a moment as he thought back "well come to think of it she did seem to be in a very good mood, that young Mirialan who was with her, what was her name?".

Anakin pulled the data pad from his pocket and deleted the senators name before he answered "that was master Luminara's padawan, Barriss Offee" Bail snapped his fingers, almost dropping the stack of papers in the process "that was it, Ahsoka really seemed to enjoy being around her".

Anakin pressed the button for the elevator "those two are good friends, well I heard all I needed to. Sorry to waste your time senator" Bail turned as the elevator doors opened and stepped inside "anything to help a Jedi, hey tell Ahsoka I said hi"

"will do senator" Anakin waited for the doors to close before collapsing against the nearby wall "this is freaking brutal". He sat on the hallways floor for a few minutes before reluctantly pulling himself to his feet 'only one more senator to go' his heart jumped as he looked closer at the data pad, senator Padme Amidala, 'oh this should be fun, might as well delete this name right now. But since I'm here I guess there's no reason I shouldn't see what she knows'.

* * *

><p>The Jedi Archives, First hall<p>

Barriss sat at the terminal farthest away from Ahsoka, not because she wanted to but because as Ahsoka had so delicately put it 'we don't anyone thinking we're too close'. Ignoring the fact that is was now very hard to feel Ahsoka's presence Barriss activated the terminal in front of her, her finger moving lazily across the keyboard she immediately found what she was looking for Togruta species: history, traits, appearance, biology, special characteristics "there we go".

A finger gracefully clicked on the last image, Barriss read slowly and carefully through the information in front of her.

Togruta, a humanoid species originally from the planet Shili. Special Characteristics are stated below in no particular order:

Togruta have a strong sense of togetherness and hate being alone 'that's good to know' they are always pleased to have any sort of pleasant company. Togruta are born with markings on their face, each marking is unique to the individual. In association with the markings Togruta also have stripes on various parts of their body, including the arms, wrists, chest, back, thighs, and legs respectively, these stripes can also vary from each individual.

With a flick of her wrist Barriss scrolled the page down: Togruta also vary greatly in skin color, those on record are orange, red, and blue or purple on occasion. Number of head tails or Lekku is less varied, only cases of three or four have been found. Togruta have little but pointed teeth 'yeah no shit' taking a moment to rub the mark on her arm Barriss continued reading. Some outsiders of Shili believe the species to be poisonous to the touch, but this rumor has been diminished over time 'better hope she's not poisonous, pretty sure I'd be dead by now'.

Togruta have the ability to hear even the smallest of noises through vibrations in their montrals (what many species would refer to as horns) although if the noise is too loud it can be very painful. Barriss looked away from the terminal as a few young-lings walked by behind her, a bright smile and short wave sent the kids on their way.

Going back to a few pages Barriss let out a short sigh 'nothing that could explain the force meld' hitting another pages she quietly began to read 'I hope Ahsoka is having better luck'.

* * *

><p>Ahsoka gave a playful wink in her friends direction as she crossed the first hall of the Jedi Archives and sat down at the last available terminal, her nimble fingers typed faster than she could think and soon enough the desired page appeared in front of her. Ahsoka's face was cast in an orange light as she started to read.<p>

Mirialans: a species of near humans native to the planet Mirial. Mirialans appearance varies from yellow-green skin to paler skin similar to that of many humans. Mirialans are known throughout the galaxy to be incredibly flexible and agile 'well this research just paid off' making them fast and formidable foes on the battlefield. As a people the Mirialans are religious and even those who aren't Jedi practice a primitive understanding of the force.

They also believe each individuals actions contributed to their destiny. A Mirialan is known to place a unique, often geometrically repeated tattoo on their face and hands to signify that they had completed a certain test or task or achieved sufficient aptitude for a certain skill. The number of tattoos often acts as a good indicator of how mature or skilled a Mirialan was 'huh, wonder what Barriss' tattoos mean'. Ahsoka prepared to click on the next page before realizing there wasn't one "hey what gives?, that can't be all there is" obviously hearing her words Jedi master (and chief librarian) Jocasta Nu walked silently to her side "is there a problem my child".

Ahsoka shook her head "no master Jocasta it's just...is this all there is on the Mirialan people?"

master Jocasta looked at the terminals screen for a moment "I'm afraid so my child". Ahsoka watched as Jocasta glanced across the first hall at Barriss who sat all the way at the other end "I noticed your friend was investigating the Togruta, is this about the force meld you two share?"

Ahsoka was a bit taken back but not at all surprised, nothing went one in the archives that master Jocasta wasn't aware of "we thought maybe the reason we could form the meld was because of a special connection between our species"

"and what did you find out?" master Jocasta kept a look of concern on her kind face as she took a seat beside her

Ahsoka shrugged towards the terminal "master I know everything there is to know about my species and nothing I just read is even remotely similar to the Togruta, our species couldn't be more different".

Master Jocasta put a comforting hand on Ahsoka's shoulder "I'm sure that in time the answers you seek will make themselves known my child, but if I may offer some advice?"

"of course master"

"the answers you're seeking, they aren't something you will find in the archives"

"what do you mean master?"

"I mean rather than searching in this terminal, maybe you should be looking inside yourself. What you find may surprise you" Ahsoka sat speechless, unsure of what, if anything to say as Jocasta rose from her seat and walked away without another word.

* * *

><p>The Senate Building, Senator Amidala's quarters<p>

Senator Amidala's beautiful face lit up at the sight of her husband walking through the door"General Skywalker, a pleasure to see you again"

Anakin let a cocky smirk cross his face as he sat down in the chair opposite his wife's desk "yeah you can cut the act Padme, I'm alone".

Padme's face instantly lit up "oh well in that case" before Anakin could prepare himself Padme' ran across the desk and jumped on his lap "oh!, you could warn a person". Padme' smiled at the face inches from her own "you're a Jedi, aren't you supposed to know what I do before I do it?"

"in a way" Anakin wrapped a hand around his wife's back and pulled their lips together in a passionate kiss, after pulling back he felt an uncontrollable smile grace his usually serious face "as much as I hate to say it I am here on official Jedi business".

Much to his surprise Padme' simply smiled and stood to her feet "then what may I help you with Ani?"

"well it's about Ahsoka"

Padme' made her way back to her desk before she spoke up "good god did you pull her Lekku again?"

"you're never gonna let me forget that are you?, and no

that's not it. She's formed an attachment"

"oh...Anakin I'm so sorry. Who is it with?"

Anakin tried his best to ignore the pain in his wife's stare "well so far I've ruled out Riyo Chuchi, Bail Organa, you, and me"

"well who else is there?"

Anakin pulled the data pad from his back pocket "I still have to question clone captain Rex, masters Plo Koon and Kit Fisto, and I might check in with Dex down out that diner Obi-Wan goes to to see if Ahsoka's been their with anybody. I know Obi-Wan took her there a few times and she seemed to really like the place."

"So I take it the council knows about this, what will they do if..."

"if she acts on the attachment then the punishment is to be stripped from her teachings and banned from the temple, the same thing would happen to me if the council ever found out about us"

"Anakin we have to help her, if we can find out who her attachment is to and how serious it is maybe we can...I don't know. I guess we can't tell her about us, but maybe we could help her hide it like we do"

Anakin fought the urge to raise his voice "no, even if we do find out who the attachment is to before the council I don't think Ahsoka would hide it. Hiding our marriage was not an easy decision for me to make and Ahsoka is even more headstrong than me, I have a feeling she would leave the order before hiding anything from it".

Padme' rose from her seat and took the data pad from Anakin's cold mechanical hand "well we still have to try, we can split the list in two. I'll go talk to master Fisto and visit Dex's diner while you talk to Rex and master Plo Koon".

Anakin raised an eyebrow towards his wife "don't you have laws to pass or something?"

Padme' was already grabbing the keys to her speeder and heading for the door "my work can wait, I can't let something like this hurt what is essentially our daughter".

Anakin cringed a bit at the use of the D word but rose to his feet none the less "well in that case I'm happy for the help, to be honest this a lot harder than I thought it would be".

* * *

><p>The Jedi Temple<p>

Barriss led the way into master Anakin's quarters and quickly flopped down on the coach, it was amazing how quickly this small apartment started to feel like home. She watched with heavy eyes as Ahsoka walked into the kitchen and grabbed a soda from the counter before joining her on the coach, she could tell her friend was holding something back "you want to ask me something, what is it?".

Ahsoka tried to hide the blush from her Lekku by burying the back of her head into the coach "it's just...the information I read about your people said they were extremely flexible".

Barriss felt her face turn red within seconds "that's true, why does that...interest you?"

Ahsoka cracked open her soda and shrugged "I'm just saying it's good to know is all, so what do the tattoos mean?".

Barriss could tell her friend just wanted to change the subject but decided it might be better for the both of them to talk about something else "well the one's I have right now are for joining the Jedi Order but I'll probably get more when I become a Knight"

"that's what I figured, so uh...what do we do now?. That research didn't take as long as I thought it would"

Barriss sighed as she sunk deeper into the coach "I really hoped we would find a connection that explained the force meld"

Ahsoka laid back on the coach and took Barriss' hand "we will figure this out, together".

* * *

><p>Padme' watched Anakin's speeder disappear into the rush of daytime traffic before turning towards the Jedi temple and starting up the steps into the main entrance, a bright smile graced her face as Obi-Wan walked up to met her. She let the Jedi master lead her a good way into the temples halls before she spoke up "so how is Ahsoka holding up?"<p>

Obi-Wan stopped in the middle of the sun drenched hallway "I'm afraid she isn't aware that anybody knows"

"when Skywalker said she could be stripped from the order I had to help somehow"

Obi-Wan nodded "I understand senator, none of us want to see miss Tano be forced to leave"

"then why not just let her explore these feelings?"

"Padme' it is the duty of all Jedi to put personal feelings aside for the good of the galaxy, unfortunately this is something every Jedi has to face at least once in their life"

"I...you're right. May I speak with master Fisto?"

"his quarters are at the end of the hall, and Padme'...I know sometimes it can be hard to understand the Jedi's code. But what you need to realize is Ahsoka willingly agreed to live by this code for the rest of her life, we do not take that promise lightly" before she had time to say anything Obi-Wan turned and started back down the hall at a brisk pace.

Padme' followed the directions given to her and lightly knocked on the last door in the hallway "senator Amidala please come in", shrugging away the fact that Jedi always seemed to know who was at their door Padme' opened the door in front of her and stepped inside.

Master Fisto sat in the middle of his large living room cross legged, Padme' took a few cautious steps into the room "master Fisto I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions".

Fisto opened his eyes and let his signature smile cross his face as he answered in a thick, for some reason Jamaican sounding, accent "I take it you're here about young Ahsoka's problem?"

"yes master Fisto" Padme' tried to hide the worry in her voice but was painfully aware of how obvious her feelings were being portrayed.

Fisto rose to his feet long enough to sit down on the coach that took up the majority of his living room "you care very deeply for miss Tano"

Padme' quickly felt herself becoming more at ease with Fisto's easy going personality and even gathered enough strength to sit down beside him "I've known Ahsoka for a long time now, she's like a daug...uh...sister to me" .

Master Fisto's smile widened "Ahsoka is very strong willed, perhaps even more so then her master. She will pull through this"

Padme' returned the smile "master is there anything you can tell me I don't already know?, maybe something you sensed".

From his expression it seemed like it almost hurt the Jedi master to shake his head "I'm sorry senator but all I can say is I do feel the attachment when Ahsoka is nearby, as far as who it's to your guess is as good as mine".

* * *

><p>The Resolute<p>

Anakin flew his speeder directly into the docking bay of the Resolute, luckily the large ship was docked at Corusant until his next mission. As he parked his small speeder and hopped out onto the docking bay he was immediately greeted by the very man he was here to see, captain Rex offered a salute before he spoke "this is a surprise sir, not often we see you in between missions".

Anakin leaned on the hood of his speeder "Rex we need to talk"

Rex's light smile faded to a more serious look "is there a problem sir?"

"hopefully not, Rex you and your men respect Ahsoka right?"

"of course sir, I'd follow her to hell and back without hesitation"

Anakin gestured to all the clones working non stop around the docking bay "and your men are okay with taking orders from someone so young?".

Rex turned around to his men and shouted at the top of his lungs "alright men!, general Skywalker here wants to know how much each of us trust his padawan!. How many of you here would hesitate even the slightest if commander Tano told you to jump from the highest mountain on Hoth?".

Rex smile as the clones simply looked at him "and how many of you would object to leaping head fist into a sarlaac pit just to save the commander!" Rex turned to Anakin for a moment as once again his comment was met with silence. As the two shared a crooked smile Rex looked at his brothers once more "lets try this a different way!, raise your hand if you would gladly give your own life for Ahsoka's!".

Anakin looked out into the docking bay as every hand within his sight shot up the second Rex finished talking, the clone captain gave a silent command for his men to resume their duties before turning back to him "Ahsoka has always treated us with respect sir, she sees each of my men as individuals, we don't forget that".

Anakin stood to his feet "the clones loyalty was never in question Rex, what I really need is to speak with you personally"

Rex raised an eyebrow as he took a few steps closer "what is it sir?"

"well Rex what I need to know is your specific feelings for Ahsoka, what do you think of her?"

Rex took a moment to think "that's not a question I ever thought I'd have to answer sir...I'm not really sure what to say"

"just say what comes to mind when you think of her"

"well...she's smart as they come, an excellent soldier on the battlefield, she's one of the few people I know who actually takes the time to get to know each of us clones personally, she's..."

"pretty"

Rex put a hand on the speeders hood to stop himself from falling over "I'm sorry sir"

"Rex I hate to be so direct about this, what do you think of her physically?" a rarely seen look of confusion crossed the clones face "sir this is highly inappropriate, I would never think of commander Tano in that way"

"Rex I know this is hard but I really need an honest answer here, Ahsoka's status as a Jedi could be at stake" even as the words left his mouth Anakin knew they would hit home. There was no question in his mind that the clone soldier cared about Ahsoka like family, he would never hold back information that would help her.

His suspicions were proven precise as Rex pulled a crate to the speeder and sat down just a few feet away "I don't like this sir, but if it helps Ahsoka I'll answer anything" the clone was silent for a few seconds before speaking again in much softer voice so as not to attract attention from his brothers "I...suppose to someone her own age Ahsoka would have a rather...charismatic appearance.

I wouldn't call her pretty so much as cute, sir please don't make me say any more".

The pained expression on the clones face forced Anakin to come clean "that's all I needed to hear, Rex I can't leave you like this. Ahsoka has formed an attachment and some of the masters thought it might be to you, that's why I had to ask those questions. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you at the beginning".

Rex stood at full attention "don't be sir, is there anything I can do to help?"

"just telling me what you did was a big help, thank you Rex, I know that wasn't easy"

"anything to help a friend sir" with a warm smile Anakin hopped back into his speeder, just as his finger was inches from the ignition Rex's voice caught his attention "sir you said commander Tano formed an attachment, you mean she has feelings for someone now right?"

"that's right Rex, why?"

Rex ran a hand along the back of his head "well I wasn't going to say anything but, one of the clones said he saw Ahsoka holding hands with commander Offee"

Anakin took a moment to realize who Rex was talking about "oh Barriss, those two are good friends, it's pretty comman for girls their age to hold hands. But either way thanks for the heads up Rex".

"any time sir, have a nice day"

"you to Rex, see you next time we have something to destroy"

"wouldn't miss it sir"

* * *

><p>The Jedi Temple<p>

Although Barriss thoroughly enjoyed watching her friends stomach rise and fall while sunlight poured in through the large window on the other side of the room something she had been holding in the back of her head for a while forced her to speak "Ahsoka I'm sorry but I really need to hear you say it".

Ahsoka twisted her head slightly on Barriss' lap "say what?"

"you know what, I mean don't get me wrong it was cute when you said I know but I just really need to hear you say it. You can say it right?"

Ahsoka was silent for a moment "oh alright I know what you mean now, of course I can say it". Barriss felt a chill go through her body as Ahsoka sat up on the coach and took her hands "Barriss Offee, I love you" Barriss lunged forward and wrapped both her arms around Ahsoka the second the words finished leaving her mouth.

They sat there wrapped in each others arms until Ahsoka finally broke the silence "it doesn't bother you does it?"

Barriss pulled back from the hug and turned her beat red face towards the window "what could possibly bother me about this?"

"that we're both girls"

the question took Barriss by surprise "honestly, up until now, I never really thought about it" much to her delight Ahsoka's Lekku lit up "really?"

"really, Ahsoka I could care less that we're both girls. All that matters is the feelings we have for each other, I love you, and I always will".

* * *

><p>Dex's Diner<p>

Padme' walked into the front door of Dex's diner, it was getting later in the day but she knew she had to get here before they closed. As if on cue Dex appeared from behind the counter "hello beautiful, so tell me, what is the legendary former queen of Naboo doing in a crap shack like this?"

Padme' forced a smile as she approached the counter "I see my reputation precedes me, I don't suppose you would mind answering a few questions?"

"that depends on the question doesn't it, please take a seat"

sitting down on the closest stool Padme' did her best to ignore her own voice coming from the television mounted over the counter "I need to know if a Jedi visited your diner recently".

Dex scrubbed the counter with one of his four hands "lots of Jedi come to this diner, could you be a little more specific"

"this Jedi is a young Togruta my the name of Ahsoka Tano"

"ah yes Ahsoka, she was here with Obi-Wan a few times before"

"yes that much I know, but was she here recently?"

Dex leaned his head back for a moment before snapping two of his sets of fingers at once "matter of fact she was, came here with a young Mirialan, what was her name?, what was her name?. Ah Barriss!, yeah that was it".

Padme' took a minute to think back 'Ani did say Barriss was living with them for a while' "what did they do while they were here"

Dex gave her a skeptical look "they talked, laughed, nothing out of the ordinary for girls their age"

"nothing they did seemed odd?"

"hey I don't watch all my customers like some dumb ass gungan, that's what the camera's are for" one of Dex's hands pointed towards a camera mounted on the ceiling, the silent machine was pointed directly at them.

Padme' tried to hide the excitement in her voice "do you keep the holovids on stock?"

"for a few weeks"

"may I have a copy of the day Ahsoka and Barriss came in?"

Dex seemed to tense up at the question "well, normally I wouldn't give anything to a senator but...a lot of my regulars do speak very highly of you. Alright I'll be right back" Padme' couldn't help but smile as the four armed alien disappeared behind a large door into the back of the diner.

* * *

><p>The Jedi Temple<p>

"Well, thank you for your time master Plo" Anakin turned out the door and into one of the many hallways of the Jedi temple 'nothing, all those people and not a damn thing that I didn't already know. There has to be something I'm missing, some clue I'm not seeing'.

Just as he was about to head back to his quarters a familiar voice caught his attention "I take it my list didn't help" Obi-Wan stood beside him obviously sensing his thoughts, Anakin took the now empty list and handed it to his master "unless senator Amidala had more luck then me master"

"yes the senator, her help was...a surprise"

"her and Ahsoka have been together on several occasions, she cares about her"

"fair enough, well I guess we won't know anything until..." Obi-Wan cut off his words as Padme's graceful form rounded the corner "what would you two do without me?".

Anakin let a crooked grin cross his face "you found something"

Padme' pulled a round disk out of her back pocket and flashed it into the sun "Dex had a holovid of the day Ahsoka visited his diner, according to him Barriss was with her".

Anakin was already halfway down the hall with his friends following closely behind "if Ahsoka is going to talk about her attachment with anyone it's Barriss, we need to find artoo and play this thing now".


	11. A Secret Revealed

_**A Secret Revealed!, as life with their new feelings goes on for padawans Barriss Offee and Ahsoka Tano a new revelation is looming that could very well pull their world apart. As the master of the council all gather to the temples chamber, Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker prepares to play the holovid that might finally reveal who Ahsoka's attachment it to.**_

**Chapter 11: A Secret Revealed**

The small blue and white astromech Anakin had known almost his entire life led the way into the council chamber, almost every master in the order had gathered to their respective seats when Obi-Wan had informed them they had a possible lead on Ahsoka's problem. Artoo offered a few short beeps as the disk was inserted into him, a giant hologram of Dex's diner filled half the room, with a flick of his wrist master Yoda closed the shutters over the domed roof allowing the hologram to fill the room in a dim blue light.

Anakin stood beside artoo and Padme' as every master on the council formed a circle around the hologram, once everyone was situated he patted artoo on the head "start the disc buddy". The hologram in front of them sprang to life in a matter of seconds as aliens of all shapes and sizes entered the diner, Dex could easily be seen wiping the counter while greeting everyone that walked in.

Padme' bit her bottom lip as she walked around the hologram "artoo try and find the point where Barriss and Ahsoka enter the diner" a few beeps followed the hologram speeding up ten fold before stopping abruptly.

Anakin leaned a bit to hear better as Dex greeted his two padawans "Ahsoka Tano, don't tell me the Jedi need my great knowledge once again huh?".

Obi-Wan let out a small chuckle but quickly went silent as Ahsoka shook the Besalisk's hand "sorry Dex, we're just here to eat". Dex led the two girls to a table and smiled as Ahsoka ordered two sliders.

Anakin let out a loud sigh "might as well sit down, once Ahsoka gets talking there's no stopping her" everyone in the room ignored his obvious joke but as time went on each master did eventually drag their tired legs back to their seats and even Padme' leaned on artoo's domed head. Ahsoka (or rather her hologram) went on to describe in painfully specific detail nearly every mission they had been on, the retaking of Geonosis, destroying malevolence, even some of her experiences with the Trandoshans were laid out for all to hear.

Although Anakin cleared his throat through a few parts the masters didn't need to hear, no reason anyone beside him and Ahsoka had to know that he only opened the Jedi holocron because Cad Bane had captured and threatened to kill Ahsoka.

When he was about to tell artoo to fast forward a bit a sudden movement caught his eye "whoa artoo go back" the image was quickly pulled back and slowed as Anakin leaned halfway into the hologram. Barriss' hologram stretched out before suddenly jumping back in her seat "why did Barriss jump like that?".

Both masters Luminara and Obi-Wan walked up beside him as R2 played the last few seconds in a continuous loop. Obi-Wan scratched thoughtfully at his beard "even this early on the meld between them may have been strong enough for them to hear each others thoughts, perhaps she is reacting to something we can't hear".

Luminara promptly shook her head "no this was before we could even sense the meld, besides Ahsoka is still talking when she jumps back. It's not like Barriss to react so suddenly, something must of really surprised her"

Anakin stopped the holovid and let the moonlight flood in through the roof with a wave of his hand "so something we can't see scared Barriss enough to almost jump out of her skin"

Obi-Wan offered his hand "give me the disk, I'll work on it a while and see if I can't find something we missed".

Anakin nodded and handed the disk to his former master "so where do we go from here?, should I just ask Barriss why she jumped?"

Padme' moved beside her husband "I don't think so, until we know more we don't want to eliminate a possible lead".

Yoda nodded from his seat "very fragile this problem is, in more ways then one I think. No more will we know for now, wait we will, show us the correct path to take the force will".

* * *

><p>Barriss lightly stroked Ahsoka's Lekku as her friend slowly fell asleep with her head on her lap, once she was sure the girl was asleep Barriss let her thoughts roam 'god she's so beautiful' she let her hands go from the girls Lekku to her cheek. Ahsoka's oddly smooth skin was warm to the touch but still managed to send a chill through her body 'I love...' her final thought was cut short as her masters unmistakeable presence drew closer to their quarters.<p>

'this isn't good!' her heart rate began to escalate as the presence got stronger with each passing second, a slight will of the force lifted her friends head and allowed her to shift her own body to the opposite side of the couch. She had just enough time to lay down and close her eyes before Anakin walked through the door "well make sure and let me know if...oh shh, you'd swear these two didn't have beds" Barriss didn't have to open her eyes to know her master was talking with Obi-Wan.

Her suspicions were confirmed when Obi-Wan's compassion filled voice began to speak very softly, Barriss had to strain her ears but she just made out the conversation "I'm sure with a little tweaking we'll be able to see what made miss Offee jump like that, I'll contact you in the morning if I have something"

"let's just try and get this problem settled soon"

Barriss instantly felt the cold stare of her masters eyes on her body, a hint of pain was clearly evident in his voice "I hate lying to them master".

"trust in the force my old apprentice, it will guide us through this"

"I know I know, but right now all I want guided to is a good nights sleep" it didn't take long for Obi-Wan to take the hint, Barriss guessed a silent nod was shared between them before Anakin waved the door shut and quietly stepped back the hall and into his room.

Barriss sat up the second she knew her master was out of the room 'what made me jump, when did I jump?. Maybe...oh crap!, at Dex's diner!. My leg touch Ahsoka's and I practically jumped through the roof, master Obi-Wan must have a holovid of that day' her heart beat relentlessly against her chest 'if he sees me react to contact with Ahsoka like that it won't take long for him to put the pieces together, I have to get that holovid'.

She stood up and headed for the door before poking a whole in her own plan 'I can't sneak into Obi-Wan's quarters, he'll sense me before I even open the door. I need help, I need someone who isn't force sensitive'.

* * *

><p>"Would you damn things hold still!, some of us have homes to get to!" James practically tackled the last mouse droid before finally powering it down and setting it beside the rest of his quote unquote help at the back of the kitchen. He wiped a bead of sweat from his face and pulled the food stained apron off his body "finally, I swear one more day with these things and I'll be strong enough to pull the ears of a gundark" after taking one more look around James hit the switch for the kitchen lights and locked the door behind him.<p>

Flipping the keys into his pants pocket he quickly made his through the mess and out into the hallway, turning out the door of the mess he felt the wind ripped from his body as he fell to the ground. Before he could mutter his usual string of obscenity's an olive skinned hand helped him back to his feet, James couldn't help but smile as he looked into the eyes of one of his favorite Jedi "Barriss, in a hurry this late at night?".

Even as the last words left his mouth he could tell something wasn't right, in the past couple days working in the mess he had gotten used to the emotionless gaze almost all Jedi gave off and right now Barriss looked more like a regular scared teenager then the trained killer he knew she was "are you okay?".

The same hand that had helped him to his feet now laid flat on his shoulder as Barriss shook her head "no James I'm not okay, I need your help"

"anything, just tell me what to do"

"master Obi-Wan has a holovid that has some...personal information on it, I need you to sneak inside his quarters and get it for me".

James put both hands in the air as he pushed past the Jedi "whoa no can do Barriss, master Obi-Wan is the one who gave me this job. I can't go against his trust like that, I'm truly sorry but I can't help you".

"please James I'm begging you, if Obi-Wan sees that holovid both me and Ahsoka could be stripped from the order".

Try as he might to keep walking the strain in Barriss' voice stopped James in his tracks "damn it...fine I'll help. But how can I sneak into Obi-Wan's quarters?, won't he sense me or something?".

Barriss shook her head "since you're not force sensitive it will be difficult for him to sense your presence,combine that with the fact that he has no idea you're there and you should be able to sneak around for a few minutes without him sensing you"

"so what's on the holovid that's so important?"

"one thing at a time James, come on we need to do this now, to put it frankly time is of the essence".

* * *

><p>James swallowed a lump in his throat as he looked down the pitch black hallway leading to Obi-Wan's quarters "okay Barriss just for reference next time you ask me a favor, I'd be more comfortable maybe baking a cake or judging a wet t-shirt contest. Pretty much anything but this" his attempt to lighten the mood went unnoticed by the still stressed out Jedi .<p>

Barriss attempted to hide the sound of fear in her voice "you're only gonna have a few minutes before Obi-Wan can sense your presence so you'll have to be quick, James I can't thank you enough for doing this. You have no idea what this means to me".

"thank me after it's done, so how the hell do I get in there?"

Barriss pointed straight up, following her gaze James saw the grate of a ventilation shaft "of course". James tensed his muscles as the grate was pulled off the vent and he felt himself being lifted into the air "uh this again, just don't drop me like Ahsoka did".

The last thing he saw before his head pocked through the shaft was a grin spreading on Barriss' face "don't tempt me".

The inside of the vent was pitch black save the thin shreds of light coming from the grate Barriss must of put back on after he crawled out of sight, James was forced to move along on all fours as he struggled through the darkness 'damn it man you gotta learn how to say no, girl throws the puppy dog eyes and I'm crawling through a vent seconds later. No, see was that so hard?. Freaking hot ass Jedi, can't even form relationships so why the hell am I doing this?'.

Something in the back of his mind told him he already knew the answer to that question, as much as he would like to think he was the ladies man he makes himself out to be truth be told he never really had a serious relationship with any girl his own age. But Barriss and Ahsoka, they were different.

Even after his dumb ass attempt at a quickie the first time they met both girls had forgiven him when frankly he didn't deserve forgiveness. Ever since then James had racked his mind trying to figure out a way to make up with the two girls, sure they had forgiven him but what he had done to deserve it?. But there was something else that kept bringing these girls back into his thoughts, something about them made him want their friendship more than anything he had wanted before.

And it wasn't just so he could brag he was friends with Jedi, Barriss and Ahsoka were two of the most interesting characters he had ever had the pleasure to met. Both could no doubt slice him to pieces without breaking a sweat but they had given their life to being the galaxy's peacekeepers, to have all that power and also the restraint not to use it for their own gain was something he had always respected about the Jedi even before meeting one.

To think even a fraction of his life could be spent in the company of these almost magical beings, especially two as nice as Barriss and Ahsoka, was something he looked forward to every day when he climbed out of bed. But as usual he let his feelings get in the way of a good thing, and so now he found himself crawling through a damn hot vent at three in the morning because of a pretty face and a few stress filled words 'worth it'.

A stream of light only inches ahead brought his wandering mind back to the present, looking through the grate the quarters of master Obi-Wan were now directly below him. The only light coming from the small living room was that of a terminal, James strained to get a decent view but only succeeded in hurting his back.

His heart beat increased significantly as Obi-Wan crossed the small room and sat down at the terminal, he fought the pain in his chest and pulled on the grate until it came loose with a only slightly audible clang. James pulled the grate inside the vent faster then he knew he could, Obi-Wan looked up from his terminal but quickly shrugged the noise away.

With all the strength he had James slowly lowered himself down the open vent, dangling just behind the Jedi masters back for a quick second before his booted feet hit the floor and immediately rolled his entire body behind the nearby couch.

Ignoring the fact that Obi-Wan really needed to clean behind his couch James crouched as low as his legs would allow and began to wait 'wonder how late a master Jedi stays up?, guess I'll find out'. Even in the strange environment James found his eyelids grow heavy with each painfully long minute, master Obi-Wan typed silently on his terminal with the time of night showing no signs of drain on the mans face 'come on!, Barriss said I could last a few minutes before you can sense me. Your old go to the bathroom or something!'.

James felt his adrenaline come back ten fold as Obi-Wan finally powered down his terminal and disappeared into the short hall with a heavy yawn, once he saw the light in what must have been the masters bedroom go out he finally stood to his full height. He gave his eyes a few seconds to adjust to the dark before making his way over to the terminal, his gaze drifted over the large desk 'if I were a holovid, ah here we go'.

With more than a small feeling of accomplishment James picked up the round disk and shoved it in his back pocket, a sly grin crossed his face as he made way for the door leading out to the hallway 'I just stole from a Jedi, not bad James, not bad at all' before he stepped through the door he chanced one more look back at the terminal 'I wonder what's so important about his disk?, maybe I should do one more thing, just in case'.

* * *

><p>Barriss had to use all her training in patience and meditation to keep herself from following James into that vent, standing at the corner of the hallway did almost nothing to ease the tension inside her. Her heart jumped to her throat when an unknown hand rested on her shoulder, she quickly turned and met the cocky grin of who was now her favorite person (beside Ahsoka of course) "James, did you get it?".<p>

James pulled the holovid out of his back pocket and casually flipped the reflective disk in and out of his hand "one mysterious holovid on the house, so now will you tell what's on this thing?". Barriss attempted to grab the holovid but James pulled it out of her reach "oh no, come on what did I just go through hell to get?"

"James will you please just give me the holovid?"

"oh come on Jedi don't even keep secrets how bad could it be, come on you can trust me".

Thinking quickly Barriss rushed forward and wrapped her arms around the boy, she felt the muscles in his body tense for a second before relaxing "thank you James, you have no idea how much this means to me. But I really need that holovid now".

As she pulled back from the hug and was immediately handed the disk Barriss felt a twinge of guilt, she knew without a doubt that James would read more into the hug than there was but she had to have that holovid "I have to go now James, have a good night".

* * *

><p>James managed a mumbled "you too" before the Jedi turned and disappeared down the hallway, wiping the dumbfounded look from his face the second she left he pulled the backup disk from his side pocket. It kind of felt wrong to lye to someone he considered a friend but whatever was on this disk could, according to Barriss, be enough to get her and Ahsoka stripped from the Jedi order.<p>

Even if Barriss thought he shouldn't know what it was something inside told him he should, at some point the Jedi would find another way to learn whatever that information was and maybe if he knew about it ahead of time he could help his friends when the time came. 'Hell how bad could it be anyway?'.

* * *

><p>Barriss floated the disk in the air in front of her the second she stepped back inside Anakin's quarters, with one clench of her fist the disk snapped into four separate pieces. As she caught the pieces in her hand a familiar voice from across the room caused her to jump "what was on that?" her excitement simmered down a bit when she turned into the caring blue eyes of Ahsoka.<p>

Apparently waking up sometime after she left the teenage Togruta now sat straight up on the couch starring out the window into Corusants moonlight lit landscape, Barriss walked over to the window and pressed the small button next to it. Without so much as looking she threw the shattered pieces of the holovid out the window, after re-closing the window she once again reclaimed her spot beside Ahsoka "you were fast asleep when I left".

Ahsoka kept her gaze out the window, the heaviness in her eyes was only complimented by the fatigue evident in her voice "it was weird, I was asleep when you left but somehow...I don't know it's like I knew. I woke up the second you left the room, I tried to go back to sleep but it's just not the same without you".

Barriss felt a warm smile cross her face "that has to be the sweetest thing I've ever heard miss Tano"

Ahsoka giggled slightly "you're making fun of me"

"oh no I'd be much to scared to do that".

The two Jedi shared a short moment of laughter before Ahsoka laid back down, once again setting her head on Barriss' lap "so what was up with the disk?".

Barriss began to lightly run her hand up and down the girls arm "it was a holovid of the day you and I went to Dex's diner, Obi-Wan was going to study the disk for any signs of your attachment"

"so, nothing happened that day"

Barriss tried to hide the new color of her face "well actually there is something I never told you, when we were at the diner my leg kind of rubbed against yours and I...well I sort of jumped".

Ahsoka let out a loud yawn "is that so?, now that you mention it I remember you acting a little strange right before we left"

"Ahsoka we need to figure something out here, we have to convince the council you don't have an attachment"

"but I do have an attachment"

"okay you're not helping, we both know that eventually the council will find some way to discover us"

"you worry...too much Barriss...just get...some..." Ahsoka's mumbled words were quickly replaced by her usual light snore.

Barriss simply shook her head and laid down beside her friend "I guess we'll talk about this later".

* * *

><p>Corusant, two blocks from the Senate district<p>

James parked his speeder in it's usual spot outside his small apartment and stepped through the front door "mom I'm home!" there was no answer and he knew that full well before the words even left his mouth. Last time he called the doctors had informed him she would make a full recovery, all thanks to the credits he had made at his new job.

Throwing his brown leather jacket on the hook next

to the door he immediately made way for the living room, now alone he had no problem with talking to himself (he had gotten into that habit a long time ago) "the Jedi have done so much for me, Barriss and Ahsoka especially, maybe knowing what's on this disk can help me return the favor".

He slipped the disk into this terminal before sitting down a the small desk in his dark living room, the orange glow from the terminal served as the only source of light as he started the holovid. Soon enough the entire room was lit by the blue projections of what he recognized as Dex's diner "a holovid of Dex's diner, why the hell would this be important?".

Rather than watch the large hologram now playing behind him James kept his gaze on the terminals screen as groups of people shifted through the small diner, his eye was immediately caught when both Barriss and Ahsoka entered the diner and were greeted by the owner.

James turned his chair around the watched the hologram filling his living room "alright Barriss said something on here would be enough to get her and Ahsoka stripped from the order, what the hell are they gonna do rob the place?".

As the two hologrammed girls shared stories and laughed he started to feel his impatience set it, turning back to his computer a quick click was all it took to send the holovid into double its regular speed.

Rubbing his tired eyes James was about to eject the disk when a movement caught his eye, after finding the spot and sending the holovid into a continuous loop he rose from his chair and walked over to Barriss' hologrammed form.

Her and Ahsoka seemed to be having a perfectly normal conversation when out of nowhere Barriss jumped, it went by so quickly he had almost missed it but seeing it play over and over again only intensified his curiosity "nothing happening in the diner would warrant that reaction from a Jedi, there has to be something I'm not seeing".

As his eyes scanned the entire hologram he quickly realized the only place he couldn't see was under each individual table "Dex's diner isn't exactly known for it's cleanliness, maybe something under the table bit her". Even as he said it he immediately shook his head "No, no way it's that simple. Jedi are trained to not even fear death itself and she jumps from some bug, no way in hell".

In one swift motion he crossed the room and sat back down by his terminal, it would be difficult to improve the quality of the video, but not impossible.

* * *

><p>The Jedi Temple<p>

Ahsoka knew better than to bring it up in conversation but she had actually been awake when Anakin emerged from his room and covered both her and Barriss in a light blanket.

Once the sound of her masters footsteps had completely faded from her montrals she sat up on the couch, a pinch of guilt went through her as she realized not only had Anakin covered her but he also un-clipped both lightsabers from her side 'I must of forgotten to take them off'.

Her all to familiar weapons sat alongside Barriss' on the counter in the kitchen, Ahsoka stood to her feet in the pitch black room and walked over to the window 'he cares about me there's no denying that, sure sometimes we argue. Hell on more than one occasion I've thought about what it would feel like to shut up that cocky tone he has once and for all, but he is the closest thing I've ever had to a father'.

The feeling of guilt only increased at the last thought 'some padawan I am, just this week I've had to lie to him more times than I can count. His views on the code have always been a little...creative, maybe if I told him he would understand'.

A movement behind her forced her to turn, Barriss rolled over on the couch and sank her face into the cushion. Ahsoka smiled at her friend before looking back out the window 'I can't, if I take the risk and lose her because of it' just the thought brought her hand into a tight fist 'I don't know what I'd do without her, if the council finds out about us and can't understand there's no danger behind it then...' for the first time in her life she felt her mind go blank.

Without Barriss her heart felt hollow, just her leaving the room was enough to wake her from a sound sleep. But without her life as a Jedi she had nothing, she knew without a doubt she was destined to become a Jedi master. How could she not be?, it was all she knew, it was what she had worked for every day of her life since being brought to the temple.

But if she had to chose between her Jedi training and Barriss, well all she had to do to answer that question was think back to that night on the senate building. When they had first kissed Ahsoka knew she would forever remember that day as the best in her life, just thinking back now was enough to make her bottom lip quiver.

Was it wrong to chose love over her destiny?, was her destiny truly something set in stone as she thought or did she have the power to shape it herself?. This and about a thousand other similar questions flooded through her mind as she laid back down beside Barriss on the couch 'it can't be wrong to chose love, can it?'.

* * *

><p>James' apartment<p>

James practically fell out of his chair and walked through the hologram before flopping down on the small couch that sat in the middle of the living room 'okay that took a little longer than I thought'. Looking up to the window on the opposite side of the room he let out a pain filled laugh "it's sunrise!, I gotta be at the temple in like two hours!"

With a loud sigh he dragged himself to his feet and focused his eyes on the now perfectly clear hologram, the continuous loop still showed Barriss jump out of nowhere but know "what the hell?". Right before she jumped Barriss had leaned back in her seat, the moment her leg brushed against Ahsoka's she made her leap for the ceiling "why would she jump like that just from touching Ahsoka's leg?".

If there was ever a moment in his life where he wished he had an old fashioned light bulb to put above his head now was the time, it explained so much. Why both of them had been on the senates roof that night (not to mention Ahsoka's halfhearted explanation), why they always seemed to be together every time he saw them. Even why Barriss didn't want the council to watch this disk "those two are!...oh no fucking way!. If this wasn't so serious it would be the best day of my life".

A quick shake of his head brought his thoughts back to reality "okay you know, but if a stupid teenager was able to figure this out surely some of the Jedi at least suspect it" the ever intensifying sunlight coming through his window forced him to move.

After taking the disk out of the terminal he pulled a key from his back pocket and unlocked one of the drawers on his desk, he couldn't help but smile as he wrapped one hand around the leather grip of his blaster "if mom knew the first thing I bought myself with all my creds was a pistol she'd kill me, but what can I say, old habits die hard".

James took a minute to admire the weapon in his hand, a LL-30 blaster pistol wasn't exactly the strongest weapon out there but that didn't stop a feeling of immense power wash over him as he ran one finger over the long silver barrel and scope attachment.

Snapping himself back to focus he flipped the disk in his hands a few times before throwing it in the air in front of him, letting instinct take over he let a single shot loose from his fully loaded pistol. The red laser did it's best to blow his eardrums but by now the noise barely affected him, he simply watched as the disk shattered into microscopic pieces "no one else will find out about this, I'll make sure of it".

* * *

><p>The Jedi Temple<p>

Barriss was jolted awake by the smooth touch she had grown very accustomed to over the past few weeks, an orange finger slowly moved down her arm and across her thigh. Taking the hint Barriss sat up on the couch, after seeing the sun just starting to rise over some of Corusants highest skyscrapers she raised an eyebrow "it can't be time to get up yet".

Ahsoka sat down on the couch beside her "it's not, but I figured since we fell asleep out here we should probably get up before Skyguy"

"why is that?"

"well we kind of moved closer together through the night, figured even Skyguy wouldn't shrug away us wrapped in each others arms on the couch"

Barriss had to laugh at the thought of her master walking in on something like that "wonder what he'd do, I mean would he wake us up to yell at us or just drag our sleeping bodies into the council?".

Ahsoka let out a small giggle as she stretched out on the couch "my guess would be the yelling one, that is if he was even able to speak after seeing us together"

Barriss felt her smile reach it's limit on her face, for some reason even with the small amount of sleep she had gotten she felt completely rested "yeah know today's gonna be a good day"

"what's with you?, it's weird to see you this cheerful?"

Barriss simply shrugged as she looked into her friends crystal clear blue eyes "why shouldn't I be cheerful?, the only piece of evidence the council could ever use to prove our relationship was destroyed last night. We have nothing left to worry about, all we have to do now is enjoy ourselves".

Obviously taking her words literally Ahsoka was already leaning forward "I think I can do that" Barriss returned the gesture and felt the usual chill as their lips met. Although she enjoyed every second the kiss was short lived as a loud swish from the hallway told them both Anakin was up, Barriss reluctantly pulled back and smiled warmly at Ahsoka before standing to her feet.

Anakin walked into the kitchen dressed in his usual Jedi outfit, after nodding to both girls he looked down at the kitchen table long enough to check his messages on his terminal "huh...nothing, thought for sure we'd have another mission by now"

Barriss walked into the kitchen and

grabbed her lightsaber off the counter, letting a decent amount of sarcasm in her voice she turned to her master "don't worry master I'm sure you'll get to blow something up soon enough"

"damn well better Raven, damn well better".

* * *

><p>Obi-Wan smiled warmly as he was approached by the young boy he had hired to run the mess "good morning James, just on time as always" the boy did his best attempt at a polite nod but it was clear his thoughts were in another place "you okay son?".<p>

James used his holo-key to open the door to the mess hall "I'm fine master Kenobi, just didn't get much sleep last night is all"

"is there a problem?"

"no nothing like that master, it's nothing really"

Obi-Wan could tell the boy was lying but decided not to press the issue "well have a nice day James"

James waved a hand inside the mess "sure you don't want something to eat?"

"thanks for the offer James but I'm afraid my schedule is too tight today to allow such pleasantries, a Jedi's work is never done"

His sad attempt at a joke got only a dry laugh from the young boy as he disappeared inside the mess "your loss, see you later master"

Obi-Wan offered a small wave as he took off down the hall at a brisk pace, although the meeting with James gave his mind a break the silence quickly brought his thoughts back in full force. Every step through the temple felt like his heart dropped along with his feet, it took all the years of training he had in him to keep himself moving long enough to reach master Yoda's quarters.

Before he could even knock a voice on the other side of the door beckoned him in "master Kenobi, I have been expecting you" with a wave of his hand Obi-Wan entered the small room and sat down on the cushioned seat opposite master Yoda.

There was a short moment of silence between the two Jedi as Obi-Wan crossed his legs and thought of quite how to put his next words "master...I'm afraid your visions were right, it seems it is padawan Offee who Ahsoka has an attachment to. Much as you thought she used the help of young James Clever to steal the disk from my quarters" as much as it had hurt him to learn this saying it aloud really drove the point home.

Yoda sat with his eyes closed for several minutes but Obi-Wan knew better than to break the silence, after the small Jedi finally snapped his eyes back open he spoke, even with all his training a small amount amount of sadness was clear in his voice "troubling this news is, very carefully we must proceed".

"but master the code is very clear about..."

Yoda raised a hand to silence him "interpreted in many ways the Jedi code can be, tell me master Kenobi, the first line of the Jedi code"

"there is no emotion, there is peace"

"hmm, and the meaning of those words?"

Obi-Wan felt a wave of confusion wash over him but answered none the less "they mean Jedi must put aside their own emotions to bring peace to the galaxy, and to the force"

"and yet emotion is what drives every living being is it not?"

"to a certain point perhaps, but once again the Jedi must fight their instincts for the good of the galaxy"

Yoda nodded his head "right you are master Kenobi, and just a few days ago agreed with you, I would have"

"what do you mean master?"

"when first we sensed the meld between padawans Offee and Tano something strange caught my attention, previous attachments I've sensed,always with them came the worst of feelings for a Jedi to experience. Always seeds of the dark side planted deep within each individual, but this time, different it was".

"fear of loss, of betrayal, even of death, all these come with attachment master. Are you seriously telling me what I think you are?" realizing he raised his voice a bit higher than he had intended Obi-Wan lowered his head respectfully "sorry master, please continue".

If Yoda was offended in any way he didn't let it show, instead the small Jedi simply continued talking "between these two is something I've never experienced in all my years, their feelings, whether they are love or simply a teenage lust, are among the most pure I've ever sensed. Possible for their feelings to go on without breaking the code it is"

Obi-Wan didn't bother trying to hide the confusion in his voice "master with all due respect are you sure this is the right way to go about this?"

"meditate more on this before all is clear I must, but for now act on this knowledge, we will not".

* * *

><p>Barriss simply couldn't take the silence anymore, she admired how her new master let her and Ahsoka have their space but she missed talking. She was probably the only one who knew it but master Luminara rather enjoyed conversation in her down time, a warm feeling went through her as she remembered the many late night talks she had shared with her former master.<p>

Moving to the large empty spot in the middle of the living room she quickly crossed her legs and began to meditate, the soothing presence of Ahsoka was instantly recognizable on the couch behind her and made it all to easy to block out anything else. With her eyes closed she relied on the force to tell her Anakin had gotten up from his chair in the kitchen and moved to sit beside Ahsoka on the couch, even in her meditative state she found it impossible to ignore the set of eyes on her "am I that interesting?".

It was Anakin's masculine voice that answered her "never seen a Jedi do that before have you?"

Ahsoka smiled as she shook her head "first I've seen that happen master...uh Barriss you know you're floating right?"

Her but hit the floor with a loud thud, ignoring the combined snickers behind her and fighting back the urge to rub her sore rear end Barriss stood to her feet "that only happens once in a while, master Luminara said it's a very rare talent, much like my force healing ability". She didn't really like bringing up her special talent but the laughter at her expense was starting to get kind of annoying, as usual the mention of her ability brought the room back into silence.

Eventually Ahsoka took the bait "force healing, I was never taught that"

Anakin shook his head and turned to his padawan "it's not something you can be taught Snips, you either have it or you don't. To put it simply Barriss was lucky enough to be born with the ability"

Ahsoka chanced a admiring look in Barriss' direction "so what's it do?"

Barriss had to laugh "pretty self explanatory isn't it?, I can use the force to heal minor injuries. Nothing major mind you, I think the most major force healing on record was a broken ribcage". Before anyone had a chance to question her further a knock at the door forced all three heads to turn, without waiting for an invitation master Obi-Wan opened the door and stepped inside.

After a strange look in her and Ahsoka's direction the Jedi master spoke up with a tone of urgency that sounded foreign in his normally compassion filled voice "Anakin we need to talk, in private".


	12. Seeds of the Dark Side

**Chapter 12: Seeds of The Dark Side**

Anakin raised an eyebrow at his former master "is there a problem?" instead of answering Obi-Wan waved a hand out the door, with a slight roll of his eyes he stood from the couch and made his way out the door. Before the door closed behind him he turned back to his padawans "stay_ here_ till I get back".

Once he got a nod from each girl he closed the door and stepped into the hallway, much to his surprise Obi-Wan was already halfway down the hall once again gesturing for him to follow. After running to catch up he spoke up "what is this about master?"

Obi-Wan took a deep sigh and tried to keep his as calm as possible "Anakin we've rooted out the source of Ahsoka's attachment"

"that's great master, who is it?"

Before answering Obi-Wan led his former apprentice to a nearby bench looking out to one of the many windows in the hallway, once they were both seated he kept his gaze on Corusants landscape "Anakin this might come as quite a shock, the attachment Ahsoka has...is to Barriss Offee"

Anakin looked down to the floor and clenched both his fists, a hint of pain, of anger, was evident in his voice "that can't be...that's impossible"

Obi-Wan rested a hand on his friends shoulder "Anakin I know this hard to comprehend, but search your feelings, you know it to be true"

Shoving the hand off of him Anakin rose to feet "how could this happen!, how could we not know about it?"

"mind you feelings Anakin, there is still more I need to tell you"

Anakin took a few long breaths before sitting back down "...fine"

"now as you know the Jedi code is very clear on what must be done, but the fact remains there's still a lot we don't know yet. Master Yoda thinks it best to wait until we have all the information we can gather before deciding how to deal with this...new knowledge".

Anakin buried his face in his hands for a moment before pulling himself together "I don't think I can do it master, how can I face them now?"

"none of us like this situation Anakin, but the fact remains you _are_ their master. You alone must find a way to be there for them without letting on how much you know"

"is there any way we can end this without stripping them from the order?"

Obi-Wan was silent for a few minutes, after standing to his feet he put a comforting hand on his friends shoulder "I can promise you this, we will try to find one".

* * *

><p>"What do you think that was about?" Barriss moved through the living room and sat down beside her friend on the couch.<p>

Ahsoka simply shrugged "beats me, maybe we have another mission"

"could be, but why would master Obi-Wan ask to speak with Skywalker privately?"

"hey I can't have _all_ the answers Barriss, but anything that gives us some time alone can't be all that bad"

Barriss nodded in agreement while a orange skinned hand was wrapped inside her own "how long do you think he'll be gone?"

"not long enough" Ahsoka leaned in and started to lightly kiss the side of her neck

Barriss laid down on the couch purely on instinct and allowed Ahsoka to crawl on top of her, she felt her entire body start to burn in the best possible way as Ahsoka moved her kisses from her neck to her lips. This time she knew it_ had_ to be her who made the next move, it was Ahsoka who had pushed their first kiss and whatever you called the tongue kiss on Felucia, to put is simply it was her turn.

As both girls pulled back for breath Barriss took the moment as an opportunity, in one fluid motion she brought her arm up and onto Ahsoka's exposed back and began to run it down her curved body. The look on Ahsoka's face was priceless, she would of burst into laughter if not for the circumstances. Once the new color of Ahsoka's Lekku told her her hand had reached its destination Barriss couldn't hold back the question any longer "is this okay?".

Ahsoka wordlessly picked up Barriss' other hand and placed it beside its partner, Barriss felt a chill go through her body as the smooth fabric of Ahsoka's skirt graced her fingertips. Gripping the back end of the skirt as hard as she could Barriss held back what would have been a rather embarrassing moan as Ahsoka leaned back in and pushed their lips together once again.

* * *

><p>Anakin was about to walk back inside his quarters when an awkward thought crossed his mind <em>'Barriss and Ahsoka are teenagers, they have feelings for each other, and their alone. Yeah I better play this a little more conspicuous'<em> "okay Obi-Wan thanks for the info but I better get back to my quarters now!" it felt a little weird yelling at an empty hallway but his worst fears were realized when a loud thud could be heard inside.

Seconds later Ahsoka's voice could clearly be heard "ow!, damn it Barriss!" giving his padawans a few seconds to regain their composure Anakin slowly slid the door open and stepped inside. Thankfully the time given must have been enough as Barriss laid on the couch by herself as Ahsoka sat crossed legged on the floor, half opening one eye Ahsoka smiled in his direction "oh hey Skyguy, what's up?".

All Anakin could bring himself to do was shake his head and pull his tool belt from it's spot at the side of the room to his hands, after another look from both girls he knew he had to say something, not that that made it any easier "I uh...I'm gonna go work on the twilight. You two...um...just stay were I contact you".

Barriss sat up on the couch and raised an eyebrow "are you alright master?, you seem distant"

Anakin was already halfway out the door "I'll be fine Raven..._ 'just keep your damn hands off Snips'_... it's nothing to worry about".

* * *

><p>Before Barriss could mention she knew her master was lying he was out the door, she gave a worried look to Ahsoka as the girl rose to her feet "something is bothering him"<p>

Ahsoka shook her head towards the door "he can be so strange sometimes, he'll get over it on his own like he always does. I'm more concerned about how fast you threw me to the floor"

"hey you did the same thing the first night we slept in the same bed" Barriss stood up and inspected her friends body "just a few rug burns on your legs, I can fix that, lay down" doing what was asked of her Ahsoka moved the the couch and laid down on her stomach.

Barriss hesitated for a quick second before moving her hands down and inspecting the red marks (rather hard to make out on Ahsoka's body) "uh...I don't think I can do this"

Ahsoka turned her head as much as she could from her position "what's the problem?"

"well...your uh...your pants are in the way, I can't heal through fabric"

"oh, well if you want I can..."

Barriss quickly raised her hands from Ahsoka's body "Ahsoka I can't ask you to do that"

Ahsoka stood back to her feet "oh would you _relax_ Barriss, we _are_ a couple now, this was gonna happen eventually" before Barriss could object any further the teenage Togruta lifted the small skirt that covered the top of her pants and started to pull the thin fabric down her legs.

Barriss tried to look away but...well she couldn't, one could argue that the design on Ahsoka's pants never left much to the imagination to begin with but those people never saw her without them.

Ahsoka waved her pants playfully through the air "see, it's still me. Now can we get on with this miss prissy?"

"okay, but could you not listen to my thoughts through this?"

Ahsoka managed a devilish smile as she laid back down on the couch "I'll do my best"

Barriss kept her eyes solely focused on the small red marks across her friends legs, never allowing her gaze to stray for sake of modesty. Her fingers grazed slightly over Ahsoka's smooth skin before settling down over the marks, instantly closing her eyes it took almost no concentration to call upon the force. A slight blue aura expanded from her hand and just like that she knew the marks were gone, what she didn't know (or expect for that matter) was the loud moan that escaped Ahsoka's mouth.

Her heart beat fiercely against her chest as she opened her eyes and searched her friends leg for any sign of a mistake "what happened!, did I do something wrong!". Ahsoka made no attempt to hold back her laughter which only succeeded in confusing Barriss "are you okay?"

"yeah I'm fine, just didn't expect that to feel so good"

Barriss went from confused to embarrassed in a matter of seconds "really?, what did it feel like?"

Ahsoka rolled onto her back and gestured a finger towards herself "come here and I'll show ya"

In a move that surprised even herself Barriss hesitated "don't you wanna get dressed first?"

Ahsoka spoke in the same sexy accent that had worked so well on Felucia "no...I don't" the affect was no less significant the second time.

* * *

><p>Normally James wouldn't have knocked <em>'Jedi always seem to know you're there anyway'<em> but he had no idea what was going on inside Jedi knight Skywalker's quarters, and as much as he would like to walk in on something he figured his two new friends wouldn't appreciate it. A few light taps on the door must have been enough for the Jedi inside to sense his presence because his knock was quickly followed with a loud thud after which he could clearly hear Barriss' voice "son of a!...who is it?"

"it's James, can I come in?"

as he expected it was Ahsoka's voice that answered him "just a second"

"I'm in no hurry" he may have been going mad but he could of swore the faint sound of fabric being shifted around through the door graced his eardrums "everything okay in there?"

after a few moments of silence the door in front of him swung open to the bright (if somewhat annoyed looking) face of Ahsoka, the girl shifted her legs slightly before greeting him "James Clever, what can I do for you?"

James attempted to look past the girl in front of him "I actually wanted to talk for a minute, if that's okay?" Ahsoka led him inside the quarters with a wave of her hand. He raised an eyebrow as he spotted Barriss rubbing her legs by the couch "what's wrong with your legs?"

Barriss looked up and instantly shook her head "nothing James"

He didn't need the force to know the girl was lying but shrugged the question away none the less, after gesturing for each girl to take a seat on the couch he turned and looked out the window for a moment _'how exactly should I go about this'_ "Barriss, Ahsoka, before I say what I want to say just let me apologize one more time. What I did the first time we met was not only stupid, but childish and downright disrespectful. And even though I ask for your forgiveness know that I don't believe I have yet to earn it" the only answer behind him was that of total silence but the change of the feel in the room told him his words hit home.

Turning to face each girl he finally settled his sights on Barriss "last night when you had me steal that holovid from master Obi-Wan's quarters, I knew from the way you talked whatever was on it was a _big_ deal. So I made a copy"

he took a few steps back as Ahsoka rose from her seat "where is it James?"

"whoa easy girl, it's destroyed now, no harm done. But that isn't what I came here to talk about"

Barriss stood up long enough to guide Ahsoka back to her seat, once they were both seated again James continued "well I took the disk home and looked it over myself, it took quite a bit of work but I think I know why you didn't want the council to see that disk"

James had been in enough situations to know when someone was holding back anger in their voice, and Ahsoka was barely making an effort "what are you getting at James?"

"I saw the way Barriss reacted when her leg touched yours, to put it frankly a wookie could of put the pieces together" with the last of his words James pointed a finger at each of the Jedi in front of him "you two have feelings for each other".

Much to his dismay neither girl showed any signs of shock, the only reaction he got was a blank stare from two sets of eyes "oh come on!, no reaction at all!. I though at least...uh!...stop!...please!" the air was immediately ripped from his lungs as he floated towards the ceiling. Even after just the few seconds without oxygen his vision started to fade "wait!...you don't!...understand!"

Just before the darkness threatened to overwhelm him Barriss' voice echoed through the room "Ahsoka!, release him!"

Ahsoka had a look of fierce determination that even James could see as he struggled for air "Barriss he knows about us!"

"what are you gonna do Ahsoka **kill** him!, we both know where that path leads!. Give into your hate and dark side will eventually take you!, you can't let_ this_ be how it ends for us!" James hit the floor so hard he swore he could of fell through it, as he coughed in a desperate attempt to refill his lungs he vaguely made out Ahsoka's form as it knelt down beside him.

An orange arm wrapped around his back as he tried to regain his composure enough to speak, from the way Ahsoka shivered and talked it was clear the girl was holding back tears "James I...I'm so sorry. I don't know what happened, are you okay?"

James did his best attempt at a smile in between coughs "...didn't know you where...into something so...kinky".

The small spread of a grin graced Ahsoka's lips but quickly disappeared as she looked up at Barriss "thank you Barriss, I don't know what came over me. Please forgive me"

Barriss sat back down on the couch once she was sure James was alright "you have to be more careful Ahsoka, we may be going against our teachings for each other but what you just did crossed the line"

"I know, and I will be more careful"

James finally got the strength to stand back on his feet but the pain of what just happened was still clear in his voice "now that the lovers quarrel is over maybe I can talk without the choking" once both girls had taken their seats he continued "okay, what I was going to say was, yes I know about you two. And let me just be the first to say how awesome I think this whole thing is, but anyway, I wanted to let you know I'm willing to help".

Barriss raised an eyebrow "what do you mean help?"

"ya know help keep your, once again awesome, relationship a secret. Not only that, I have an idea on how to stop the council from forcing either of you to leave"

Ahsoka was a still shaking a bit but the last of his words seemed to catch her attention "really, and what would that idea be?"

"well first I need to know how much the council knows about you two"

"far as we know all the council thinks is I have an attachment to somebody but they don't know who it's too or how strong it is"

James snapped his fingers "perfect, okay here's my plan then. Now since the council has no idea who the attachment is too I say we fake an attachment, play it up that I'm the one Ahsoka's attracted to while we're around members of the council and once they're good and convinced the attachment is between us I'll make a big scene during one of your mission briefings or something and you can completely blow me off. Maybe make some big speech about how you care about me but you can't get let your feelings control you blah blah blah, and before the council knows what hit them your attachment is broken and your real relationship is safe".

* * *

><p>Barriss took a moment to really let James' plan sink in, it was risky, it was stupid, but it was also better than anything she could of come of with. If master Unduli had taught her anything it was to never turn down help when it was offered "that <em>could<em> work"

Ahsoka seemed less convinced "I don't know James, what if the council find out what we're trying to do?. You might lose your job, I can't let our relationship do that to you"

James simply shrugged "wouldn't be the first time I had to make it on my own, besides I don't think the council would fire me just like that. Like you said before the Jedi don't hold grudges, long as I apologize I should be fine". Ahsoka and Barriss shared a troubled look before he spoke up again "what?"

Ahsoka rose from her seat and put a comforting hand on the boys shoulder "it's not the council we're worried about, it's Anakin. He can be a bit..."

"overprotective" Barriss finished her friends sentence

"exactly" Ahsoka answered "I still remember one time we chased a thief into some nightclub here on Corusant, this guy I walked by pinched my butt. I thought Skyguy was gonna gut him right there, probably would have if I hadn't spoke up"

Barriss simply grinned from her seat on the couch but James seemed to take the information a bit more seriously, after visibly swallowing a lump in his throat he spoke up, trying to mask his true emotions in veil of cockiness "that so?, I guess we'll just have to be careful. If you're still here tomorrow come by the mess hall around nine thirty, master Plo normally comes in around that time"

Ahsoka still seemed skeptic but after a slight moment of silence she nodded "it's worth a shot, I'll be there"

"excellent" James spread both arms out in front of him "group hug?" after a long slightly awkward silence he put his arms back down "can't blame a guy for trying, I'll see you tomorrow"

Barriss held the grin from her face until James was completely out the door "do you think it'll work?" when the only reply she got was silence a quick look away from the door revealed she was the only one in the room. A slight will of the force told her Ahsoka was in her room, getting up from the couch she ran back the hall and knocked on her friends door "Ahsoka are you okay?"

This time she got an answer, but not one she wanted, the pain filled cries of Ahsoka sent her heart against her chest. With a wave of her hand Barriss ran inside her friends room to find the teenage Togruta laying face down on her bed, her heart fell as Ahsoka struggled to talk through the tears "just go Barriss!"

Barriss moved to the bed and sat down as lightly as she could "you can't ask me to leave you like this, what's wrong?"

Ahsoka rolled onto her back and brought her hands to her face, looking at the orange skinned appendages as if they were on fire "I can still feel it Barriss!, the dark side is still inside me!. You saw what I just did to James!, I would of **killed** him if you hadn't stopped me!"

It killed her to see Ahsoka like this but the worst part of it was she was right, through their meld the small menacing presence of the dark side was instantly recognizable. Barriss positioned herself so that she could cradle her friends head on her lap before speaking as calmly as she could "Ahsoka the dark side will _always_ be there, it's a much a part of the force as anything else. There's nothing I can say to make it go away, but know this, if anyone is strong enough to fight the power of the dark side. It's you"

Her words did almost nothing to stop the stream of tears pouring down from Ahsoka's now bloodshot eyes, but the rising and falling of her chest did slow down a bit. Realizing words would never solve this problem Barriss resorted to gently wiping the never ending stream from her friends face _'hey, hey come on, where's the rough no nonsense girl I fell in love with?. You're stronger than this Ahsoka, I know it'_

Much to her delight a small smile did spread on Ahsoka's lips as the tears slowly came to a stop "you...you're right" Ahsoka pulled herself up to a sitting position on the bed and pulled her legs to her chest "I don't know if I can get through this alone"

Barriss scrunched beside her on the bed and wrapped an arm around her back "you won't have to".

* * *

><p><em>'I train them, I treat them like family, and this is how they repay me?. By fooling around the <em>_second I leave the room'_ Anakin shook the thoughts from his head as he pulled his grease splattered body out from under the twilight_ 'get a hold of yourself!, they're not doing anything you haven't. You of all people should know how hard it is to ignore true love'_.

After grabbing a nearby towel and wiping his face clean he was met with the business as usual face of captain Rex, the clone offered a salute before speaking "senator Amidala has arrived sir".

Anakin took one last look at the twilight before heading off down the docking bay of the Resolute "you better come too Rex, it's just as important you and your men are aware of this"

Rex took a few quick strides to catch up "is there a problem sir?"

"ha, that's putting it gently Rex" before the clone could ask another question Anakin walked up to the speeder he recognized as Padme's, the lovely senator was looking out the rarely unshielded docking bay doors but turned when he got close.

Padme's face lit up before noticing the look on his face "what's wrong?"

Anakin waited till both Padme' and Rex were concentrated on him before speaking "we've figured out who Ahsoka's attachment is to, it's Barriss Offee" as usual Rex's face remained unreadable as the soldier took in the new fact but Padme' was a bit more unprofessional.

The senators face once again lit up "_awwww_, that's so cute" one look from Anakin was all it took for her to change her tone "uh...I mean, how awful. What do we do now?"

Anakin shook his head "nothing we can do, all we can hope is the council finds a way to deal with this that doesn't get both of them stripped from the order" turning to face Rex he continued "Rex make sure all the clones in your regiment are aware of this...new predicament, and tell them no one is mention it to either Barriss or Ahsoka"

Rex rubbed his heavy eyes as he started to walk away "they're gonna have a field day with this"

Pretending he didn't just hear that Anakin took a few steps to join Padme' at the edge of the docking bay, sunlight pored in through the large open doors "you really think this is cute?"

Padme' simply shrugged "I'm well aware of how serious the situation is, but young love is always cute. Anakin you can't let them be stripped from the order"

Anakin felt his fist clench on instinct "they won't be".

* * *

><p>By the time Ahsoka had calmed down Barriss was well aware of the fact that the sunlight coming in through the small window in their room had been replaced by moonlight, judging by what she could see from her place on the bed she guessed it was about one or two in the morning.<p>

A few hours had gone by since she had heard the heavy footsteps of their master go through the hallway and into his own room, she might had been wrong but she could of swore the footsteps had stopped briefly by their door before continuing on _'I don't think I'll ever understand him'_.

Ahsoka had laid down on the bed and fallen asleep just minutes ago, the poor girls eyes still let loose a few loose tears every couple of minutes. Barriss stood up from the bed and placed a gentle kiss on Ahsoka's cheek before walking to her cot on the other side of the room, it felt strange to lay down without the others girls form pressed up against her but if there was ever a time when Ahsoka needed some space, it was now.

* * *

><p>Ahsoka tossed and turned throughout the night, subconsciously fighting back a cold sweat that threatened to over take her very being. Screaming everywhere, Plo Koon, Kit Fisto, Luminara Unduli, even Barriss, almost everyone she knew and loved she watched gunned down by an unknown source shrouded in darkness. As much as she tried all she make out was the heavy sound of blaster fire, the pulsing tone pushed her montrals to their limits to the point where even asleep she wrapped her hands over them <em>'no!...stop!...please!'<em>.

The sound stopped so abruptly it was almost as startling as the sounds themselves, but sadly what replaced it was no better. A series of slow, pain filled breaths ripped her apart from the inside out _'please!...I'm begging you!_' before they dissipated into silence she felt something odd, the breaths were almost...mechanical, definitely not human. Before she could make them out any clearer the breaths stopped just as the other sounds had, but in the back of her mind she knew what followed would be no better.

"You underestimate the power of the dark side!" "you were my brother!...I loved you!" the strange voices came and went before she could place them, before she felt the darkness overwhelm the last inch of her body one more voice, seeped in the dark side, rang extremely clear in her mind "execute order 66".

"NO!" the crisp sunlight did nothing to help her massive headache as Ahsoka sat up in her bed, breathing as fast as her lungs would allow she ran two shaking hands over her body "it was a dream, just a dream"

She was so focused on herself she didn't notice Barriss until her olive skinned hand gently rubbed her forehead "Ahsoka are you okay!"

Ahsoka moved her legs to the edge of the bed and stood to her full height "I...I think so, just a bad dream"

Barriss walked up beside her and took her hands "Jedi don't have the pleasure of simple dreams, what did you see?"

Just thinking about what she had experienced was enough to rip the strength from her legs, everything in the vision flashed through her mind in a matter of seconds "it's too scattered, I can't make sense of most of it"

"is there anything you _can_ make out?"

"something bad is coming Barriss...something really bad"

Barriss hid the anxiety in her voice well "do you think we should tell the council?"

"no, not until I completely understand what I saw. Now come on, we have different things to worry about today" as Ahsoka walked out her room with her friends hand cupped inside her own one look at the clock in the living room told her all she needed to know "I need to get to the mess hall"

Barriss nodded as she released her grip on Ahsoka's hand and moved to the couch "I better stay here, it'll be more convincing if you're alone"

Ahsoka nodded in agreement and willed her still tired legs towards the door, something stopped her just inches from the door "Barriss"

"yes"

"keep your lightsaber with you at all times, even in here, do you understand?"

"anything you say, now go cheat on me"

Even with all she had been through lately Ahsoka couldn't help but laugh "does it count if it's with a guy?" the look she got as an answer reminded her of the cocky grin Skyguy sometimes got "just trying to know the rules" Ahsoka opened the door with a wave of her hand but was once again stopped in her tracks as a olive skinned hand turned her back around.

Barriss pulled their heads inches away from one another as she smiled "no goodbye kiss?"

Ahsoka felt her back Lekku instantly change color "of course my lady" the second she felt her friends lips brush against her own was the same second the unmistakable whoosh of Anakin's door sounded back the hall. Ahsoka had to will the force to keep her steady as she was pushed out the door, the last thing she saw before the door closed in front of her was the warming smile on Barriss' face.

She had to literally shake the chill from her body before starting off down the hall towards the mess, after a short walk she opened the door and stepped inside the somewhat small white room. A couple young-lings offered a polite wave from a nearby table as she walked by, returning their gesture with a small smile her eyes immediately scanned the room for the person she was here to fool.

Master Plo Koon sat at the table closest to the front counter with his head buried behind a rather large book, Ahsoka couldn't help but smile as she approached the Jedi "master Plo, may I join you?"

Plo looked up from his book and gestured to the seat across from him "of course little Soka"

Ahsoka cringed a bit at the use of the nickname _'getting a little old for that'_ but shrugged the feeling away as she sat down "how are you master?"

"fine at the moment, I'm more concerned about you though"

Ahsoka swallowed a lump in her throat "really, why?"

"this force meld, I have yet to find one other record of it being performed by someone so young"

"oh...yes the meld, I don't think you to worry master. So far it's really come in handy during the missions"

"yes but the long term affects are what worry me, the longest meld recorded before you and padawan Offee was between two masters, it lasted three days"

"if the meld starts to have any negative side effects you'll be the first one I come to master"

even with his breather on the look on master Plo's face made it obvious he was smiling "be sure that you do little Soka" before either Jedi could say anything more a shadow cast over the table caused them both to turn their heads.

James first looked to master Plo "the mouse droids are delivering the daily ration of your food to your quarters master"

Plo nodded his head "thank you Mr. Clever"

With a small nod James turned to Ahsoka, pulling the notepad from his aprons pocket he cast a sly grin in her direction "and for you beautiful"

Ahsoka tried her best to force her Lekku to change color but it wasn't happening, instead she simply smiled in the boys direction "whatever you have ready...handsome" if master Plo noticed the awkward exchange he did a good job of hiding it.

After clearing his throat James nodded towards the counter "uh Ahsoka may I speak with you for a moment?". Ahsoka rose from her chair with a polite bow to master Plo and followed James across the room to the farthest reaches of the front counter, once they were alone James wasted no time "what the hell was that?"

Ahsoka leaned on the counter and shrugged "I don't know, I'm not good at this. How is it so easy for you?"

James almost looked like he took offense at the question "what the...how is it so easy, do you even own a freaking mirror?, I'm not exactly fighting my natural instincts"

"what do you mean?"

"oh for the love of...would you at least look at me when I'm talking?" not giving her a chance to turn her head James stepped out in front of her "lets try it this way, why do you think that guy pinched your ass in the nightclub?"

Ahsoka dropped her gaze to the floor "because he was a kriffing pervert"

James let out a loud sigh before using his hand to gently guide Ahsoka's eyes to met his own "Ahsoka you really don't get it, you're _hot_ okay. Maybe that guy in the club was just some old pervert but that doesn't change the fact that he was attracted to you enough to try what he did, you're really freaking hot".

Despite the feeling in her gut Ahsoka felt her Lekku slightly change color, James immediately pointed to the table where master Plo was still reading "yes okay, we got something. Now get back there before that feeling wears off, if my past experiences are any indication you'll hate me in about five minutes"

Ahsoka was practically pushed back to the table, the second she sat down master Plo looked up from his book "are you feeling alright Ahsoka?"

"fine master why do you ask?" before Plo could answer a loud beep brought Ahsoka's wrist to her mouth "yes master"

Anakin's voice sounded oddly lighthearted over the com-link "met me and Barriss at the war room, thinks it's about time to go save the day again".

* * *

><p>Barriss clasped her hands behind her back as she stood beside the holo-projecter, she had to mentally push back a few unpleasant memories as a large instantly recognizable tower was projected in front of her. Beside her Ahsoka did no better in hiding her feelings "Geonosis master, I thought we took control of that planet"<p>

The only master present for their briefing master Obi-Wan promptly shook his head "unfortunately some major sectors of the planet have still been giving our troops some trouble, but this tower is one of the last sectors not under Republic control"

Anakin examined the projection of the tower as it lit his face in a blue light "this tower looks different than the others I saw on Geonosis"

Barriss followed her masters gaze and saw what he was talking about, beside the fact that the tower was twice as big as the weapons factory she and Ahsoka had destroyed all that time ago it was the design that caught her attention. The snarling face of a bug unlike any she'd ever seen was engraved just above the large entrance "that design on the front master, what is it?"

Anakin shared a concerned look with Obi-Wan before he answered "I assume master Unduli told you about the Geonosians that captured her during the retaking of Geonosis"

"the ones that were almost impossible to kill"

"yeah them, well that's their queen, or was rather"

Obi-Wan interjected "what Anakin means is the queen was buried along with her...children, deep in the catacombs under Geonosis. This temple must have been were she lived before the initial invasion"

Ahsoka took a few steps closer to the projector "so are we destroying this base master?"

Obi-Wan shook his head as he shut down the holo-projecter "picking up your masters love of explosions I see, no Ahsoka to put it simply we don't know what your mission is yet" before anyone could question his comment Obi-Wan continued "Republic forces under the leadership of Jedi Marikane Cananvi had already surrounded the base"

Anakin let a small amount of annoyance in his voice "so what Marikane just wants someone their to witness his victory?"

"on the contrary my former apprentice, Marikane contacted the council and asked for the presence of another Jedi"

Barriss raised an eyebrow "if the job is already done why would he need help master?"

Obi-Wan started to lead the way out the war room "that is precisely what you're going to find out young one".

* * *

><p>James waited till Skywalker and Barriss were completely out of sight before running up beside Ahsoka and Obi-Wan "hey Ahsoka wait up a sec!" both Jedi turned at his voice.<p>

Obi-Wan let his usual warm smile envelope his face "Mr. Clever is your shift over already?"

James tried his best (which was pretty damn good) to fake embarrassment in his gestures and his voice "oh no master I just...wanted to give Ahsoka something before she left" pulling a bright silver necklace from his back pocket he turned to the Togruta "I wanted you to have this, for good luck ya know" _'take the hint, take...the...hint_'.

It was almost impossible to tell if Ahsoka was faking the confusion evident on her face but she looked at the necklace with a warm smile "that's...very sweet James, thank you" James leaned in close and clicked the jewelery in place around her neck, keeping their faces in close proximity for just a split second more than was necessary before turning and sprinting back the hall without so much as a word to explain his actions.

Obi-Wan watched him disappear around the corner before turning to Ahsoka "that was strange, I wasn't aware you and James were that close"

It hurt to lye to someone she was as close to as master Kenobi but Ahsoka forced herself to shrug the words away and continue down the hall "he's a _good_ friend".

* * *

><p>Barriss' eyes were immediately drawn to the small heart shaped necklace around her friends neck as they walked onto the bridge of the Resolute "who gave you that?"<p>

Ahsoka shivered a bit as she leaned in to inspect the necklace, a simple silver balled chain and a bright orange heart much the same color of the girls skin "James, I think it's part of his plan"

"that reminds me, how did it go in the mess with master Plo?"

"pretty good I think, if him and master Kenobi aren't convinced the attachment it to James they're at least suspicious"

Barriss couldn't help but let her eyes wander but fought the desire to do something that might turn a few heads on the bridge as she pulled back from Ahsoka's form "boy works fast I'll give him that". Ahsoka nodded and turned just as Anakin started up the bridge, Barriss offered a light bow before she spoke "master we're ready to make the jump to hyperspace"

Anakin nodded but for some reason refused to meet her eyes "good job, you two are dismissed"

Ahsoka spoke up before she could, both of them were thinking the same thing "uh master, dismissed to do what exactly?"

the tone of in their masters voice caused both girls to take a step back "I don't know Ahsoka, just go to the sleeping quarters for now...and take artoo with you" rather than ask another question both girls gestured for the blue and white astromech, who until now had been standing quietly in the corner, to follow them.

With the droid following at their side Barriss led the way off the bridge and down the first hallway, once she was sure they were out of earshot she turned to Ahsoka "he's been acting strange all day, after you left earlier to go the mess he didn't say a word to me the whole time. He just sat in silence, I could feel his eyes on me every time I turned my head"

Ahsoka fiddled nervously with the necklace around her neck "this is weird even for him, did you hear him call me Ahsoka back there?. In all our time together I think he's called me Ahsoka about two or three times, something is wrong"

"wonder why he asked the astromech to come with us"

artoo let out a few loud beeps to which Ahsoka cast a sly grin "I know artooie, just give her some time and she'll learn to call you by the right name"

Barriss raised an eyebrow as she looked back and forth between artoo and Ahsoka "how can you understand the astromech?"

"stick with Anakin long enough and you'll pick it up"

artoo beeped a few more times and despite herself Barriss tried to make any sense of it "sorry artoo I just can't do it, maybe in time" with a small smile she patted the droids domed head. Ahsoka opened the door to the sleeping quarters and led the way inside, Barriss stepped to the side as artoo moved past her and into the middle of the room.

Barriss walked to her favorite bed and laid down, as she closed her eyes a familiar chill snaked its way through her body. Ahsoka sat down on the bed beside her and ran a soft hand up and down her leg, as much as Barriss was enjoying the moment her fear forced her to speak "are you sure Ahsoka?, what about the astromech?"

Ahsoka turned her gaze towards artoo "artooie how about running a diagnostic check on the ship, can't be too careful can we?" the droid let out a few beeps before turning to the side of the room and starting the diagnostics. Ahsoka cast another sly grin "that will keep him busy for a few minutes"

Barriss found herself wishing the bed they were in was bigger as Ahsoka climbed on top of her but the thought quickly disappeared from her mind when her hands found their new favorite spot, Ahsoka jumped just a little "whoa, someones rather confident today" rather than answer Barriss wrapped a hand around the girls head and pulled her down.

The second their lips made contact Barriss entered her tongue in Ahsoka's mouth, much in the same way Ahsoka had on Felucia Barriss moved her tongue in every direction imaginable until she met with the warm presence of another. With her self control now thrown out the airlock Barriss moved her hands over all over her friends body, more than once pushing her skirt up and adventuring under it. When her hands found a spot on the small of Ahsoka's back she forced herself to pull back for breath, glancing up into the same blue eyes she feel in love with only one question came to mind "are you an angel?".

Ahsoka let out a giggle more suitable to someone half her age as she moved a hand forward to push a few strings of hair out of Barriss' eyes "I was about to ask you the same thing".

* * *

><p>"Sir we've reached Geonosis, set down in approximately fifteen minutes" Anakin nodded to the clone on the lower deck before heading off the bridge and towards the elevator, a simple button press activated his com-link "Raven, Snips, meet me at the docking bay"<p>

It took a few seconds but he was eventually answered by the always cocky tone of Ahsoka "oh am I Snips again master?"

"just get to the docking bay, and bring artoo" he may of put more anger into the words than he intended but right now he could care less, making sure to reach the elevator before his padawans Anakin stepped inside and let the darkness calm his nerves as he was transported down the large ship _'maybe I'm being to harsh, I don't know how serious they are, they could really care about each other. There's no way the council is gonna let them continue their teachings, if there's any way to help it's gonna have to be me that finds it. If Snips is as serious about Barriss as I am with Padme' I can't let the council split them apart' _

Anakin kept the elevator doors closed for a few extra seconds as he took a series of deep breaths, once he felt confident enough to control his emotions he let the doors swing open to reveal the docking bay. He made his way to the T-6 shuttle to find both Ahsoka and Barriss already sitting in the cockpit, he stepped past each girl with a polite smile before settling down in the pilots chair "so what did you two end up doing?"

"meditation" each girl answered in perfect unison _'oh they're good'_

Anakin couldn't help but let a sly grin cross his face as he piloted the T-6 shuttle out of the docking bay and directly towards the looming planet of Geonosis.

* * *

><p>Barriss almost immediately hated her choice of clothes the second the ship set down, the harsh sunlight seeped into the cockpit of the ship and started to boil her inside her all black robe "I almost forgot how hot it gets here"<p>

Anakin rose from his seat and stepped past her "lucky for us there's only a few more hours till sunset, then we get to freeze instead of melt"

Barriss stood to her feet and got in line behind Ahsoka "a comforting thought master, thank you for that"

"it's what I'm here for Raven" Anakin led the way out the shuttle and Barriss took the moment to look around the landscape, not that their was much to see. Inhospitable desert every direction she looked as long as she could see was all that graced her eyes, a small Republic base was set up a few miles away from their location but offered no sense of comfort or more importantly shade. All that was set up in front of the ship was a series of large tents and a holo-projecter, but Barriss was much more interested in the view about half a mile away.

The Geonosians tower loomed over the entire area, the sculpture of the queen visible even from their distance. A deep trench formed a protective circle around the temples entirety and was itself surrounded by a entire platoon of At-Ats, each with their main gun pointed directly at the temple, ready to fire.

Ahsoka walked beside their master and wiped her hands against each other "well job well done master, I wish all missions were this easy"

Barriss let out a small laugh but Anakin seemed to take the comment quite literally "what is Marikane up to?, there has to be something else going on here"

"oh come on!, I specifically requested anyone _besides_ Skywalker" all three heads turned to the strong voice from behind them, Marikane pulled his hood above his head as he walked up to the ship. Barriss squinted her eyes and was barely able to make out the Jedi from the sunlight burnt landscape.

It was always hard to describe Marikane to someone who hadn't seem him themselves, somewhat kind features and deep blue eyes did a little justice to the mans face but it was what was left Barriss couldn't describe. The long black robe the Jedi wore couldn't really be called a Jedi robe, to her the outfit looked more suitable to someone less restricted, someone who's life didn't involve keeping the peace. Maybe someone who worked more for himself, as assassin perhaps.

The hilt of a black bladed lightsaber was clipped to each side of the Jedi's waist and a somewhat convoluted contraption was strapped to both his wrists, since she had seen the tools in action before she knew each housed a small extremely sharp blade that could spring forward with just the right wrist flex. The thoughts were pushed from her mind as Anakin did his best to fake a warm smile "seems the council does have a sense of humor after all, so tell me, what are we here for?. By the look of things you got everything under control"

Marikane almost ignored her masters words as the Jedi spotted Ahsoka and herself "Barriss!, Ahsoka!, so nice to see you again" with a warm smile to each girl he turned his attention back to Anakin, letting more than a little annoyance into his voice "and yes Skywalker I do have everything under control, but there's been a...complication in the plan"

Anakin rolled his eyes "isn't there always"

Barriss followed the group of Jedi to the holo-projecter not far away, once everyone was situated Marikane put up a hologram of the temple and the surrounding area. As he talked a series of blue dots pushed a equally large group of red dots back into the temple "we fought the Geonosians head on, not much cover out here to do anything else, and eventually pushed them into the temple. Aside from a few scouting parties we have yet to deal with another attack" the hologram flickered out as Marikane continued "but why I stopped the assault can't be explained on a hologram, follow me".

Doing as asked Barriss fell in line beside Ahsoka as they started towards the temple, ignoring the conversation between her master and Marikane she instead turned her head to her friend "I really don't remember it being this hot last time I was here"

Ahsoka simply shrugged "never really noticed, it doesn't feel so bad"

"oh of course not, you'd have to wear clothes to get warm"

"what was that?"

Barriss waved a dismissive hand through the air "nothing"

Ahsoka squinted her eyes _'my choice in clothing didn't seem to bother you on the Resolute'_

_'point taken, you win'_

Marikane brought a hand up for all to stop just short of the first tank guarding the temple "this should be close enough, sit, everyone" following his lead Barriss sat down in the dirt alongside her master and Ahsoka and crossed her legs. With Ahsoka so close by her meditation was made all the easier, every Geonosian inside the temple fluttered about doing force knows what, but then something else,something she'd never sensed before "what is it?"

even with her eyes closed she knew it was Marikane who answered "I don't know, I've never felt anything like it. It's almost as if whatever it is is neither alive or dead, simply there"

Anakin standing to his feet forced Barriss to open her eyes "do you know what it is master?"

her masters face was covered in an expression of deep thought "I've sensed that presence before"

Marikane raised an eyebrow as he stood up "really?, come on we'll talk back at camp. There's something I wanted to speak to you about anyway".

* * *

><p>By the time they had gotten back to camp the setting sun gave way to a cloak of darkness that surrounded the dimly lit camp, Anakin followed Marikane into his large tent already deep in conversation "...so after we found master Unduli we discovered that she had been taken to the Geonosians queen, I believe her presence is what we sense inside that temple"<p>

Marikane lit a lantern to illuminate the tent, a small round table and cot was all the place housed. Anakin sat down at the table as Marikane flopped on his cot "so you think we have a queen bug hiding the temple, well as much as I'd like you to be wrong I _have_ seen weirder things in my life"

Anakin tapped uncomfortably on the metal table "so what was it you wanted to talk about, you're never one for pleasantries so I can assume you want more than small talk"

Marikane sat up on the cot with a loud sigh "yes I suppose we might as well get straight to business, the sooner this is over with the sooner we can go our separate ways. Skywalker I received a...rather informative message from the council a few hours ago" Marikane looked to the ceiling with distant eyes, almost talking to himself "Ahsoka and Barriss huh...did _not_ see that one coming"

Anakin felt his fist clench on instinct as he rose from the chair "are you making fun of this situation!, you know full well what will happen when the council gets the proof they need!"

Marikane put his hands in the air "I'm in no mood for a fight Skywalker, it's been a very long day. Now would you please sit and listen to what I have to say!" the last words came out as more of an order than a question and Anakin seemed to take the hint as he sat back down and gestured for Marikane to speak.

After a short silence the Jedi continued "look I know there is the threat of them being stripped of the order, to be honest I've never really agreed with the councils views on attachments"

Anakin relaxed his muscles a bit "really?"

"yes but that's besides the point, you know as well as I do both Ahsoka and Barriss are too well trained for this to be a simple teenage lust. If they're risking their status in the order than they have to be serious about this, I think we're dealing with love here, plain and simple"

"I assume you have a point to make at sometime here?"

Marikane looked a bit annoyed by the comment but shrugged it off "as a matter of fact I do, when the times comes where you are forced to make a decision on how to deal with this attachment. If and only if that decision is what's best for Ahsoka and Barriss, I'll support you wholeheartedly, no matter what"

"even if it goes against the council?"

Marikane took a few steps forward and extended his hand "if it helps them...yes"

Anakin fought back the muscles in his face as they tried to smile, instead he stood and kept his face as serious as possible as he shook Marikane's hand "thank you Cananvi, but when the time comes I hope your interference isn't necessary".

Before Marikane could come up with a witty reply of his own a strange presence outside brought his lightsabers to his hands, igniting both black blades he ran out the tent with Anakin close behind "I sense it too".

* * *

><p>"Master!" Barriss had ignited her lightsaber the second she felt an odd presence in the force, it was seconds later that the first hand punched through the dirt beneath her feet. The orders of countless clone troopers sounded in her ears as the soldiers formed a circle around the Geonosian as it crawled it's way to the surface.<p>

Ahsoka ran up beside and ignited both her sabers "what is that thing!" before she could answer a black blade seemed to come out of nowhere and sliced the bugs head from it's shoulders before it could completely surface. Marikane looked at the bugs disembodied head with wide eyes but said nothing, instead he gave the clones a silent gesture to move back to the camps outer limits and cover the base.

As the clones moved away Anakin ran up beside the group of Jedi "those are the same type of bugs that attacked us in the catacombs during the second battle of Geonosis, Marikane tell the clones to turn their visors on if any more appear, the light will distract them for a few seconds" with a silent nod Marikane took after the clones.

Barriss moved forward to inspect the body but Anakin pulled her back "careful, those things are controlled by the same worms you dealt with before. If more appear go for the limbs, especially the head, anything else will just make them mad"

Ahsoka looked at the corpse in disgust "things kriffing disgusting"

Anakin ignited his lightsaber and gave Ahsoka a fierce look "we've talked about the language before Snips, keep your head in the game"

"yes master, sorry master"

the awkward silence was thankfully broken as Marikane ran back up to the group "the clones are forming a perimeter around the base, if any more of those bugs appear we'll gun them down before they know what hit them"

Anakin shook his head "that won't work, blasters have almost no effect on them. If they attempt another attack it'll up to us to stop them"

Barriss looked at the small whole where half of the bugs body still sank through the dirt "it was tunneling it's way up, there must be a series of catacombs under the camp just like the weapons factory"

Marikane nodded thoughtfully "if that's right then we should probably move the camp back to the main base, we're too exposed here"

Ahsoka turned her gaze to the temple in the distance "master no offense but now that we know what's in the temple, why not blow it sky high?"

Marikane opened his mouth to answer but Anakin cut him off "we buried the queen in a mountain of rubble last time and somehow she survived, simply destroying the base isn't going..."

Barriss felt the ground shake underneath her boots as her masters words faded into silence, Ahsoka jumped straight back as a hand rose from the ground to grab at her leg and cut the hand with a single swipe.

Marikane was first to grab a hold of the situation "form a circle!, back to back!", eyes quickly surveying the new battlefield Barriss was hard pressed to find a block of sand that wasn't seemingly giving birth to a group of the zombie Geonosians. Her battle hardened senses joined the other three Jedi as they formed a tight knit group back to back, Marikane's booming voice bellowed out to the surrounding clones "light em up boys!, pick each shot carefully!"

Laser fire shot off in every conceivable direction the second the words left Marikane's mouth, along with a flash of light from the visor of every clone soldier present. This time it was Anakin who began to shout orders "now!, while they're stunned!, get as many as you can before they break free of the dirt!".

Each Jedi took off in their own direction, Barriss pushed her legs as fast as they would go as she started for the closest group of Geonosians, using a wave of her hand to bring the first two bodies completely out from the dirt she separated each bugs head from its shoulders. Green blood splattered against her robe as she let the bodies fall to the ground, she continued to cut down every Geonosian her lightsaber would reach but for every one she killed two more rose to take its place "this isn't working!, they just keep coming!"

Anakin slashed his lightsaber directly behind him, cutting a bug straight down the middle "we gotta keep fighting!, they're gonna run out of bodies sooner or later!"

Barriss steeled her nerves as she found herself surrounded, the first group of bugs able to break through the dirt formed a menacing circle around her and started to move in one by one. The ground below her feet got looser by the second as the presence of several more bugs could be felt in the catacombs that no doubt ran under her feet "some help would be appreciated!".

Striking the first bug that stupid enough to get close Barriss ducked just in time to avoid the black blade of Marikane's lightsaber, the blade seemed to cut the air itself as if flew inches above her head the carved a perfect arc through the bugs surrounding her. Taking a moment to look on in astonishment Barriss watched as Marikane pulled the lightsaber back to his hand as if it was second thought and continued his slaughter of the bugs.

"Barriss behind you!" Ahsoka's fear stricken voice was more than enough to make Barriss turn, already swinging towards the bug she knew was behind her. Her swing was brought to a halt when an extremely cold hand knocked the lightsaber from her grasp, the blade deactivated as it fell through the air and to the ground several feet away. Before Barriss could extend a hand for the blade to return the grotesque Geonosian brought up the one arm it had to strike, she had just enough to time to duck and roll away from the strike before using her legs to scissor kick the bug into the air (with a little help from the force) '**crunch!**'.

"No!" all Barriss could do was watch as the Geonosian she had knocked through the air fell directly on top of her lightsaber, the weapon shattered under the weight.

Ahsoka ran up beside her and force pushed a entire group of bugs away, with their broken wings powerless to help them the bugs landed a good distance away with a satisfying crack. Ahsoka wasted no time in handing Barriss her small golden saber "here, not much on its own it'll do for now" Barriss accepted the weapon with a light nod and charged back into the fray.

The short weapon didn't have much reach to it (and Shien wasn't exactly Barriss' strongest stance) but that didn't stop her from slashing out at every bug she ran across. With the combined force of the four Jedi (along with a few lucky shots from the nearby clones) they eventually cut the bugs down to the last group.

Before anyone could object Marikane deactivated both his lightsabers and moved towards the four remaining Geonosians, one flick of his arm brought all four into the air in front of him "rest in peace you ugly fuckers" a ball of blue energy sent the bugs flying helplessly into the air and slammed all four against the hard stone wall of the Geonosian temple. Barriss simply looked to the Jedi with a sly grin _'showoff'_.

* * *

><p>"Barriss are you okay?" Barriss couldn't help but smile as Ahsoka ran up to her and took back her lightsaber, with a small nod she answered the girls question. Both girls shared a moment of relief before Marikane walked up to join them.<p>

The Jedi knelt down and looked over the remains of Barriss' lightsaber "a shame when a Jedi loses their first saber, but this shouldn't be a problem, I always bring a few spares with me just in case" as the Jedi turned to walk inside his tent a loud moan caused all three to turn.

Anakin nursed his shoulder with a smug look as he walked up to the group "bastards got a few lucky blows" her training kicking in immediately Barriss ran up to her master and forced him to sit on a nearby rock.

It was clear even through the fabric that the wound was worse than her master was letting on "Marikane get over here, I need a blade to cut the sleeve" with a annoyed sigh and a few murmured words Marikane walked over and brought one of his hidden blades out from it's holster, the sharp blade cut through the fabric like butter.

Once he was done Marikane took a few steps back and covered his mouth "oh man!, that can _not_ be good" Barriss handled the situation a little better but even she had to admit the wound was pretty bad, the cut had to be several inches deep and even a small piece of her masters bone could be seen through squinted eyes.

Which made the fact that Anakin pushed her away even more surprising "we don't have time to worry about me right now, if we don't get inside that temple they could launch another attack and wipe us out completely"

Barriss reached out to Ahsoka in her thoughts _'if he doesn't get treated he could lose another arm, you have to convince him to go'_

Ahsoka walked up and put a comforting hand on her masters shoulder "we can handle this Skyguy, the Resolute landed at the main base a few hours ago, go and get patched up"

Barriss saw a look of quiet understanding shared between Ahsoka and and Anakin before her master nodded, holding back a pained expression as he did so "alright fine" looking to Marikane Anakin filled his voice with all the care he could "Marikane my padawans are under your order until I return, just make sure to get Barriss' another lightsaber before you storm the temple. Oh and if the Geonosians all scream at once try and cover Snips because it hurts her montrals a little, and be careful not to..."

Marikane put up his arms in mock defense "okay _dad_ we get it, just go".

* * *

><p>Barriss sat alongside Ahsoka on a bench by the sparking holo-projecter as the clones ran around them doing any number of tasks "don't worry about Anakin, the surgery he needs is minor. I could of performed it here if it was necessary"<p>

Ahsoka's grim look softened a bit "thank you, ya know it's funny, I sometimes think of him as invincible. It's stupid I know, but it really doesn't help when something like this happens"

"it's not stupid Ahsoka, see a person slice through hordes of droids and those feelings are bound to appear. Just try and remember that no one is completely invincible, we all have our faults, and our weaknesses"

Barriss took her friends hand but quickly released it when Marikane finally emerged from his tent "sorry Barriss, I don't have anything close to what you're used to. All I could find was these" looking at the weapons offered to her Barriss recognized the design of paired lightsabers. Two slightly curved hilts that could be connected to have the effect of one double sided lightsaber, the simple gray and gold design of each hilt instantly reminded her of her old saber.

Taking both the lightsabers Barriss stood to her feet and ignited the weapons, a blue blade spread forward from each hilt "these will be fine master, thank you"

Ahsoka took a few steps back as she swung the new weapons around in an attempt to get used to the weight and feel "are you trained with paired sabers?"

Barriss shrugged, deactivating the sabers and clipping them to her side before speaking "a little, I'll get master Skywalker to teach me back on Corusant but for now I know enough to get by" with each Jedi now on their feet Marikane walked away long enough to give the clones a few orders before heading back towards the Geonosian temple.

Taking the subtle hint to follow Barriss and Ahsoka fell in line behind their master for the time being, they walked in complete silence until the large trench was all that separated them and the outer wall of the temple. "I'll go in first, then help you two across" Marikane cleared the trench with no trouble, landing neatly on his feet at the other side of the gap. Ahsoka jumped next, making it about halfway before Marikane extended a hand and floated her the rest of the way.

Barriss took a series of deep breath before taking off towards the trench, using all the force she could gather she made it far enough to met with Ahsoka's outstretched hand. Ahsoka groaned lightly as she pulled her friend to her feet, once all three were across Marikane nodded silently and patted each girl on the back "not bad you two, think you can climb as good as you can jump?".

Giving them no time to respond Marikane looked to the stone wall in front of them and jumped straight into the air, finding foot and hand holds in a matter of seconds the Jedi started to climb the wall faster than Barriss could blink. She took a few steps towards the wall but was stopped by an orange-skinned hand _'I got a better idea, focus on me and lift me up as high as you can'_ Barriss raised an eyebrow but did what was asked of her.

Taking a few steps back and focusing entirely on Ahsoka (which wasn't that hard to do) Barriss lifted her friends body into the air, the second she did so she felt her own feet leave the ground as well. The two girls floated to the top of the wall just as Marikane pulled himself up, setting each other down as softly as they could each girl couldn't help but smile.

Marikane walked up beside them "nice little trick there, don't think anyone's thought of that one yet. I'd patent that before someone steals it" with a sly grin Marikane laughed at his own joke and motioned for all three to crouch. Barriss felt her knees buckle on instinct , taking cover behind the low wall that separated them from the main area of the temple. Along with her friends she peeked over the wall, a small amount of moonlight was all that let them see into the large open area ahead of them.

Barriss felt her stomach rise to her throat as she laid eyes on the Geonosian queen, a fat, monstrous body was connected to the queens back end and the head instantly reminded her of the carving on the temples outer wall. As much as she hated the sight the next one was no better, an entire group of zombie Geonosians scuttled around a odd looking device she could barely make out in the moonlight "what is that master?"

Marikane pulled a pair of Jedi binoculars from his belt "it almost looks like a bomb but that doesn't make any sense, what would mindless bugs want with a weapon like that?"

Ahsoka squinted in the bombs direction "well there's one way to find out"

Marikane quickly shook his head "if we go in there without a plan we're done for, no telling how many more of those bugs we can't see"

Barriss took a second to think before speaking up "in the report master Unduli showed me of their encounters with these bugs before it said master Kenobi had a little luck in actually communicating with the creature, maybe if one of us goes down and stalls the queen the other two can sneak in and deal with the bomb"

"what do you mean _deal_ with the bomb?" Ahsoka kept her gaze down towards the bugs

Marikane let a bit of sarcasm into his voice "well, if it's big enough to pose a threat to anything beside this temple we disarm it. But if it's small enough to only kill these damn bugs, we blow the place sky high"

A sly grin crossed Ahsoka's lips "you're more like Skyguy than you let on Marikane, so which one of us is going to distract the queen?"

Barriss felt a lump form in her throat as both Ahsoka and Marikane turned to her "you want_ me_ to...fine, just be ready to act on my signal" stepping on top the stone wall Barriss felt a hand grab her shoulder.

She turned to meet the concerned face of her favorite Togruta "be careful down there okay"

Barriss slowly let herself fall backwards off the wall "aren't I always?"

* * *

><p>Barriss hit the marbled floor without so much as a sound but that didn't stop every grotesque head in the temple from turning in her direction, her hand went down towards her lightsabers but stopped just short when she realized none of the bugs were advancing. Instead each Geonosian stumbled back and formed a clear path towards their queen, willing her now rubber legs to move forward Barriss walked up and bowed to the giant Geonosian queen "your majesty, my name is Barriss Offee and I represent the Jedi council in this conflict. May I have a few words with you?, it is my hope that a peaceful solution can be found"<p>

The queen was silent for a few moments before opening her mouth, the loud, strain filled voice was enough to force Barriss to hold back a cringe "peace...no peace!. You Jedi Offee...will order your troops to leave!...NOW!"

Barriss took a few steps back but stood her ground, putting all the strength and calmness in her voice she could "I respect you your majesty, you worry that if Republic troops take control of Geonosis it will mean the end of your people. I can assure you that would not be the case, reach a peaceful solution and your people will be left undisturbed".

The queen reared back her small body, letting loose a blood curdling laugh "Geonosis will remain under my control Jedi!, and you _will_ help me!"

Before she could bring herself to speak again a series of ice cold hands ferociously pinned her to the floor, the unmistakable look of a brain worm egg was pushed in front of her face _'now Ahsoka!'_. The green and gold glow of Ahsoka's lightsabers sprang to life just a few feet from where she was being held to the ground, Ahsoka bounded forward from her place in the darkness and slashed both sabers to the ground.

The bugs holding her down split down the middle and fell to the ground in a mix of dead flesh and green blood, Barriss stood to her feet and chucked the brain worm egg half way across the temple "not again". She watched as the egg smashed against the stone wall before turning back to the queen "this is your last chance your majesty, we don't want to kill you".

The queen laughed again, harder than she had before "Jedi are always...so easy to predict, we have more than one way of forcing you to...join us"

as the queen gestured to the few remaining bugs a black saber appeared from behind the bomb "no!, damn it!" Marikane slashed the bugs in front of him before running to join Barriss and Ahsoka "bugs activated the bomb!, we got less than a minute!"

Barriss shook her head in astonishment "what!, your majesty this is insane!, you'll be killed too!"

the queen was already headed away from them, moving her large back end deeper into the temple "you can't kill what's already dead Jedi!, once the bomb goes off my worms will control!...what is left of your bodies!".

* * *

><p>Marikane glanced at the bomb before turning to the two girls "Barriss!, Ahsoka!, leave now!, I'll hold the blast for as long as I can!"<p>

Barriss turned and blew the main entrance open with quite a strong force push for someone her age, Ahsoka looked uneasily back at Marikane "we can't just leave you"

Marikane walked up to the girl and patted her head playfully "don't worry about me, hasn't been an explosion yet I couldn't outrun" the slightest hint of a smile showed up on Ahsoka's face but it was obvious the girl still had mixed feelings about leaving. It wasn't until Barriss ran up and took her hand that they both took off out of the temple, Marikane closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths before turning to the bomb.

No sooner than he brought up his arms the bomb erupted from it's shell, the resulting explosion pushed his eardrums to the point of bleeding but he fought through the pain the best he could. With his eyes closed Marikane slowly started to move backwards, letting the ever increasing explosion advance upon him with every step. With his back to the main entrance Marikane let loose all he could in an attempt to push the explosion back, turning and darting out the entrance he felt the heat reach his back in a matter of seconds.

Ignoring the fact his back was most likely on fire he put all the force he could into his legs, jumping over pile after pile of sliced Geonosians while making his way out the temple_ 'those two make a good team'_. As he reached the trench between him and the safety of the nearby camp his eyes spotted just what he needed, the still intact body of a Geonosian laid with it's sliced brothers.

With a wave of his hand Marikane brought the bugs body to the halfway point of the trench, leaping midway across the deep trench and landing on it's soft body before jumping straight for the camp. Even in mid-air he could make out the forms of both Barriss and Ahsoka as they attempted to hold back the explosion that had now formed a mushroom cloud behind him, Marikane hit the ground in a roll, the dirt doing it's job of putting out the small fire on his back. Within seconds of landing he turned and did his best to help the other Jedi hold back the ever looming explosion, with all three concentrating as hard as they could the explosion was held back long enough for it to reach it's peak before reaching the camp.

Marikane let his arms drop and fell to one knee as the explosion finally died down, as he took the moment to regain his breath he couldn't help but smile at the giant crater that now stood in place of the Geonosian temple "that one was_ too_ close".

_A/N: Marikane belongs to fellow writer Gone Rampant, if anyone wants to see more from that character I'd advise you to seek out his stories. Sorry it took so long for me to spell Barriss the right way._


	13. The First Date

_Respite!, leaving Marikane to clean up the mess on Geonosis Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, along with his padawans Barriss Offee and Ahsoka Tano, head back to the Jedi temple for some much needed rest. Upon reaching the temple, our intrepid hero's are called in front of the Jedi council for an evaluation of their latest mission, or so they think._

Chapter 13: The First Date

Barriss followed her still limping master into the councils chambers, Anakin was doing his best to hide the pain he was in but she could see right through the charade. It didn't help that the guys arm was still in a sling either, but if she had learned anything these past few weeks it's that a limp wasn't going to put her master out of commission.

With a slight bow she took her place at the side of her master, Ahsoka did the same on Anakin's opposite side. Anakin tried to bow but fought back a moan through the entire ordeal "you wanted to see us masters"

Obi-Wan nodded from his seat "Anakin your injuries need time to heal, we've decided to grant you a week long meditative retreat"

Barriss looked up at her master expecting to see a look of joy, a meditative retreat was a very rare occurrence since the start of the clone wars, but for some reason Anakin looked almost disappointed "if that's what you think is best"

Obi-Wan was swift in his response "it is, while you rest your padawans will be going with me to Mandalore. It seems that Deathwatch have once again reared their battle ready heads".

All three bowed and turned to leave but the familiar voice of master Unduli forced Barriss to turn back around "Barriss, what happened to your lightsaber?"

Barriss opened her mouth to answer but Anakin walked up beside her "her lightsaber was...destroyed while attempting to keep the Geonosians from overrunning our camp, the paired sabers were the only replacement we had at the time"

master Unduli smiled a bit "I remember when I lost my first lightsaber, sorry to hear that Barriss"

Barriss returned her old masters smile "it's okay master, although I don't have much training with paired sabers"

Obi-Wan rose from his seat and offered his hands, Barriss un-clipped the lightsabers from her side and handed them to the master. She watched in astonishment as master Kenobi activated both sabers and swung them around like he'd used them for years, after a few rather flashy moves he handed the weapons back "I can teach you a bit on Mandalore, be ready you two, we depart in the morning".

* * *

><p>"Well I guess this is goodbye for a while, try and stay out of trouble while I'm gone" Barriss and Ahsoka both bowed to their master and watched him walk away, once he rounded the first corner towards the temples exit Barriss led her friend down the hall.<p>

They walked in silence until they reached the mess, James walked out into the hall with a serious look on his face. Just when she considered asking the boy what was wrong the door slid shut behind him and he exploded into a fit of laughter, Barriss shared a odd look with Ahsoka before she spoke up "having a good day James?"

James put a hand up as he continued laughing, after a few more moments he finally straightened up and turned to Ahsoka, still laughing a few times as he spoke "oh man you two missed it, I just asked master Fisto if you were single"

Ahsoka almost jumped out of her skin "what!, are you insane!" the Togruta looked to her friend for help but Barriss had to cover her mouth to keep herself from laughing, all she could do was shake her head disapprovingly towards James.

James led them a few paces away from the door "relax Ahsoka, Fisto thought it was pretty funny. You need a sense of humor girl, anyway all he did was tell me about the Jedi code. I acted all bummed and walked away, I think that's three Jedi we can add to the fooled list now. Is there anyone else you think we should get before the big scene?"

Barriss finally found the will to speak "you're having way too much fun with this James, I hope you haven't forgotten what's at stake"

"of course not, but I mean, come on. I'm faking a relationship with a hot Togruta, that's the stuff bad holovids are made of"

Ahsoka waved a hand for all to follow "we shouldn't talk about this here, we have Skyguys quarters to ourselves for the night anyway"

James started back towards the mess "I'll meet you two there, I just have to close up for the day. Oh and I'm _not_ knocking this time, you've been warned"

* * *

><p>Barriss sat down on the couch just as James rushed through the door "sorry!...oh damn it. I'm helping with the whole relationship you could at least let me walk in on something"<p>

"Ahsoka's in the refresher James, she'll be out in a minute"

James took off his jacket and hung it by the door before setting down on the couch "so can I be serious for a moment here?"

"I don't know, can you?"

"funny, I was just wondering. How did this all start?, you and Ahsoka"

Barriss thought back, her lips forming a smile "I'm not really sure, I mean our first kiss was on the senates roof if that's what you meant. But as far as the feelings themselves, I guess they were always there"

"huh, you really care about her don't you?"

Barriss wasted no time in answering, it was one of the easiest questions she was ever asked "I love her James, and she loves me"

"and the Jedi council is really against true love?, that just seems...inhuman"

Barriss pulled her hood down and ran a hand through her hair "attachments are forbidden for a reason James, they can be used against us. As much as I hate hiding my relationship with Ahsoka I know full well why it has to remain a secret, the wrong people find out and it's only a matter of time before me or Ahsoka are captured or killed to get to the other"

James was quiet for a minute, the boy kept his eyes to the floor as he took in the words presented to him "it still doesn't seem right, it should be your decision to make your relationship known or not. Even if you would still keep it a secret, love is every beings right"

Barriss looked at the boy sitting in front of her with a bit of surprise "I didn't realize you'd feel so strongly about this James, just a few weeks ago I would've argued with you, said that because we're Jedi we should somehow push past such feelings. But that was before..." she waved a hand back the hall "before her, I don't know, maybe giving up love is too much to ask"

James locked eyes, now fully engrossed in the conversation "so what's it like?, being in love"

"..." for one of the few times in her life Barriss found herself without an answer "I don't know how to explain it James, I'm not sure it can be put into words. But just knowing someone cares about you so deeply, knowing that if you had to plunge yourself into total darkness that someone would be right there beside you. It's unlike anything I've ever experienced, and I feel it every waking second of my life"

James leaned back into the couch "man, one more question, if you don't mind?"

"of course not James"

"how far have you gotten?"

The boy asked the question with such a straight face that it took Barriss a minute to realize what he'd said "James!"

"oh come on!, I got _nothing_ else going on, you gotta give me something"

Barriss shifted uncomfortably in her seat "I don't think Ahsoka would appreciate me answering that question James, and frankly you asking it is a little insulting"

James threw his hands into the air "pfft, I've had enough friends to know what that means"

As much as she wanted to drop the subject Barriss let her curiosity get the better of her "what do you mean?"

"you've gotten no where"

"what!, for your information...wait...nice try James that's _not_ gonna work"

before either person had a chance to say anything else Ahsoka walked into the living room "what's not gonna work?"

James rose from his seat and pointed judgmentally at Barriss "_she_ won't tell me how far you two have gone, I think after all I've done I deserve to know" just like her it took Ahsoka a minute to understand what the boy was talking about.

Barriss prepared herself for a slew of bad language and high voices but instead she felt an orange hand pull her to her feet, before she could say anything in protest she was pulled in and met with the familiar taste of Ahsoka's lips. She'd tried to fight her instincts, to pull away from the strange situation, but even in the presence of the now speechless James she couldn't do anything but return the kiss.

As sudden as it had happened it was over, Ahsoka pulled back and moved to her usual spot on the couch, Barriss stood on rubber feet, afraid to move for fear of falling over. Once she finally found the strength to sit back down she did her best to avoid James' eyes, the boy sat in silence, sinking back into the couch and wrapping an arm around the back of each girls head "do I pick good friends or what?"

Barriss couldn't help but smile, as awkward as the present situation was it was still nice to have someone who she and Ahsoka could be themselves around. Someone who they didn't have to hide anything from, as the three sat in total silence she couldn't help but think _'I'm glad James found out about us'._

It was Ahsoka who finally broke the silence "now that that's out of the way, James I believe we have a plan to discuss" when the only answer she got was more silence she spoke up "James!"

James had to shake himself off the couch "right, the plan" still obviously a little shaken the boy turned to the window "so far we've gotten...uh, focus James, focus...so far we've gotten masters Plo Koon, Obi-Wan, and Kit Fisto. Anyone else you think should be suspicious before the big scene?"

Barriss nodded "as much as I hate to say it Skywalker should probably have his suspicions, but he's on a week long meditative retreat so it'll have to wait. Other than him I'd say we're good to go"

James turned away from the window "what about master Yoda?"

Ahsoka let out a small laugh "no way we'd be able to fool him, all we can hope is whatever you do in front of the council is enough to convince him of our _supposed_ attachment"

"which reminds me, what is it you intend to do in the chamber?" Barriss asked

James moved a bit closer to the couch and waved a finger playfully in front of Barriss' face "uh uh uh, if you know what's gonna happen the council will sense it. You'll just have to trust me"

Barriss pushed the finger away a little more force than she meant to "you touch her and..."

James took a step back "relax Barriss, I wouldn't dream of touching your girlfriend, well okay that's a lie. I would _dream_ about but I'd never _do_ it, never picked you for the protective type but rest assured you have nothing to worry about"

Barriss had to shake free her clenched fists before standing to her feet "no I know James, and I'm sorry, I'm not sure where that came from"

James was already glancing at the clock above the door and heading for his coat "don't worry about it Barriss, I realize I can be a bit overly sarcastic but I'd never do anything to hurt either of you. I really am sorry but a I have to go, just make sure to contact me next time you're heading into the council chamber. Stay beautiful you two".

With a slight wave James slipped his jacket on and disappeared out the door, only to walk back in a second later, when seeing both girls in the exact same place as they were when he left he slumped his shoulders and walked back out the door "maybe teenage girls aren't as horny as the holo-net led me to believe?".

* * *

><p>Barriss simply shook her head as she watched James drag his feet out the door, she waited until it was apparent the boy wasn't returning to turn to Ahsoka "please never do that again"<p>

Ahsoka seemed genuinely confused "what kiss you?"

"what?, force no. I meant in front of James, just the way he looked at us afterwords" Barriss felt a shiver go down her spine "I could feel his eyes on me, I know the boy means well but he _is_ still a boy"

"point taken, but we both know he wasn't going to shut up until that happened"

"well I can't argue with that, what do you suppose his obsession is with seeing us together?. I mean it does nothing for him so why obsess over it?"

Ahsoka rose from her seat "the first night we have completely to ourselves and you want to spend it trying to figure out a boys motives, if I learned anything from my short time with Lux it's that you never really understand what goes on in a boys mind"

Barriss couldn't hold her tongue for any longer than a few seconds "what do you mean your short time _with_ Lux?"

"geez James was right you _are_ the protective type"

"can you blame me?, I see the way other people look at you"

Ahsoka rolled her eyes "oh please, you really think you don't get those same looks?. Ever since you starting wearing you hood down every head we walk past turns in your direction"

Barriss ran a hand through her hair "really?, you think it's the hair?"

"aw does little Barriss feel pretty?, we're reaching pathetic levels here" with another roll of her eyes Ahsoka walked forward and took her friends hand. Without a word to explain herself she started pulling Barriss towards the door.

Barriss allowed herself to be led out the door and into the now pitch black hall, choosing to whisper her question into Ahsoka's montrals for fear of being overheard "where are we going?"

the answer rang clear as a bell as Ahsoka's thoughts buzzed through her head _'this is the first night __we've had without any supervision since we admitted our feelings, I want to make the most of it'_

_'what did you have in mind?'_

_'how about a date?'_

Barriss felt a lump form in her throat, which for some reason made even thinking the next words harder _'a...date'_

_'that's right, I think it's about time...don't you?'_

The look on Ahsoka's face made it impossible to answer, all Barriss could do was tighten her grip on the girls hand as they made their way to the main entrance of the Jedi Temple.

* * *

><p>Master Obi-Wan watched from the window of his quarters as the two padawans sprinted out of the main entrance of the Temple and disappeared into one of the many walkways leading into the deepest reaches of Corusant "are you sure we should let them go master?, we do have a mission in the morning after all"<p>

Master Yoda nodded thoughtfully from his hover-chair "have their fun they will, be back in time in for the mission, they shall. Provide an excellent opportunity to study the depths of their attachment, this situation does. I shall go alone, block my presence in the force from them, I can"

Obi-Wan held his tongue until Yoda had made his way to the door "master, what you're suggesting...it would mean completely changing the code we Jedi live by"

Yoda jumped down from his hover-chair and hid his lightsaber behind his coat "realize this I do, master Kenobi. That is precisely why I need all the knowledge I can gather about this situation" before opening the door in front of him the small Jedi let out an impish laugh "funny it is, even with all the years behind me, still learning I am. Truly understand the force, I fear we never will"

Obi-Wan shook his head as he tried to keep his voice as calm as possible "I'm afraid I can't share you sense of humor master, will you at least let me inform the other members of the council about your visions?"

"no, know they cannot. Not until I'm sure of what I'm sensing, spreading this information would only complicate things"

* * *

><p>Barriss barely had time to prepare herself for the blaring music of the nightclub before she was dragged inside, looking around she noticed a far wall was made up entirely of holo-vid screens, all showing a different sporting event. The rest of the club was exactly what she expected, the middle being covered in groups of aliens ranging from twi-lek to gungan while the front spanned a long bar "what is this place even called?".<p>

Ahsoka stepped in front of her and looked around "does it matter?, believe it or not Skyguy actually brought me here once, said he found the place when him and master Obi-Wan were tracking an assassin who tried to kill senator Amidala"

"so what exactly do we do now?"

much to her dismay Ahsoka's eyes were immediately drawn to the further most corner of the club where about a dozen other couples moved their bodies in a series of pulsating motions "do you know how to dance?"

Barriss tried to hide the fear in her voice as she looked at the large crowd of people "no"

"perfect, me neither"

"wait no!, Ahsoka!" her screams of protest were barely audible over the clubs blaring music and did nothing to stop Ahsoka from grabbing her hand and practically dragging her onto the dance floor. More than a few heads turned as the two girls wrapped arms around each others waists "Ahsoka people are looking"

Ahsoka kept her gaze straight ahead "forget them, right now it's just you and me" Barriss met the gaze of her friends crystal clear blue eyes and soon enough blocking out the other people gawking at them seemed as easy at Ahsoka had made it sound.

Even moving her body to the music was made much easier, before she knew what had happened Barriss was swaying and flipping in ways even she didn't know she could. Her body moved in perfect unison with Ahsoka's, each girl copying the others moves without so much as a thought shared between them.

When the song eventually came to a stop a series of applause and whistles brought her head back into reality, looking around the large dance floor she realized she and Ahsoka were now the only two people in the large area. Everyone else had apparently backed away to give them room, with a knot the size of a baby rancor in her stomach Barriss waved to the crowd of people.

Ahsoka did the same, even going so far as too lead her in a small bow before heading off the dance floor and towards the bar. Upon sitting on two empty stools in took almost no time for the bartender to appear, the rather dashing looking twi-lek male offered a warm smile as he approached from behind the counter "you girls know how to put on quite a show, let me get you a drink, on the house of course".

Barriss waved a hand at the bartender as he filled two small glasses with a thick red liquid "we appreciate the thought but I'm afraid we aren't old enough to drink"

The bartender nodded slowly as he passed the glasses to them and went back to wiping the counter "strictly none alcoholic, I've served Jedi before ma'am"

Ahsoka took the glass in front of her and took a small sip before realizing what the man had called them "wait, Jedi...but how?" the young Togruta answered her own question with a quick glance to her waist "we forgot to take off our lightsabers before we left, Barriss everybody here knows".

Before Barriss could answer a hearty laugh from the bartender caused both heads to turn "I wouldn't worry about that young one, you two are probably the only ones in here who _aren't_ drinking"

Ahsoka took another sip from her glass "and what about you?"

"ha, I'm just a simple bartender ma'am. What you two do is your own business, I know better than to cross a Jedi"

Barriss rose her glass in the air "well in that case, cheers!"

Ahsoka gave her friend a strange look but tapped their glasses together none the less "you sure there's no alcohol in these?".

* * *

><p>Master Yoda sat on the roof of a nearby building with his Jedi binoculars pressed to his eyes, the two padawans had been sitting at the bar of the nightclub for hours and even his trained muscles were starting to grow weary. Hiding his presence from the padawans had proved less challenging than he had anticipated but that fact did nothing to hide the feeling in the pit of his stomach.<p>

If what his recent meditations were telling him had been interpreted correctly it would mean a complete recharge of the Jedi Order, everything they taught, everything they stood for would have to be looked at in a new light.

But if he knew one thing, it was that the force was _never_ wrong. If this truly is the path the order was destined to take, then the force would guide him there, as it had begun to do just a few nights ago. The one padawan, the young miss Tano, when she was alone he could feel seeds of dark side deep inside her.

But when she was with miss Offee those same seeds seemed to recede into the deepest depths of the force, if an attachment such as the one between these two could literally push the temptation of the dark side from someone as it had miss Tano, perhaps what the Jedi believed to this point, has been wrong.

* * *

><p>Barriss walked hand in hand with Ahsoka as the two finally left the nightclub, Corusant's moon had risen to it's highest most point in the star filled sky overhead and a slight drizzle was starting to fall from the few clouds that had formed over the long night. After pulling her hood back over her head Barriss led Ahsoka to the edge of the walkway "I can't believe I let you talk me into this, master Kenobi isn't going to be happy when we show up to the mission briefing half asleep".<p>

Ahsoka shrugged the comment away as she leaned forward on the walkways outer railing "I don't recall having to talk you into anything, don't even try to pretend you didn't have fun"

Barriss inched a bit closer, wrapping one arm around Ahsoka's back as the rain increased in speed "okay maybe I didn't exactly offer any words of protest, but all joking aside I'm glad we did this. It's been so long since I've been able to open up like that, to really be myself, it was fun"

Ahsoka leaned her body into Barriss' arm, pushing their bodies tight against each other "so...a good first date then?"

"of course, in a line of many others to come" Barriss held a hand up to inspect the rain, completely oblivious to the fact that her face was inches away from Ahsoka's "we should probably head back, this rain is only gonna get worse"

Ahsoka brought a soft hand up to the other girls cheek and turned her head to match her gaze "there's nothing else you want to do before the date is over?"

Barriss gazed deep into her friends crystal clear blue eyes, once again the reflection of Corusant's moon shined brightly back at her "well...I suppose there is one thing".

* * *

><p>Barriss tried to hold back the fits of laughter as she ran alongside Ahsoka towards the main entrance of the Jedi temple, it wasn't until they reached safety from the sudden downpour in the first hallway of the temple that she found the will to speak "I told you the rain was only gonna get worse"<p>

Ahsoka shook her head, swinging her wet Lekku from side to side in an attempt to dry off "well _excuse_ me but I seem to recall having someone's tongue down my throat at the time"

Barriss attempted to laugh again but almost fell to the floor in the process "you sure there was no alcohol in those drinks?"

"they smelled clean to me, maybe we just need a little sleep" Ahsoka covered her mouth with both hands as a small burp escaped her lips "okay maybe they were a _little_ stronger than I thought"

"just a little" Barriss started laughing again as she took her friends hands and used their combined balance to walk down the hall, after loosing their balance more than a few times the two girls finally arrived at their quarters. With a wave of her hand Barriss led the way inside, she got about two steps into the door before tripping on her own feet.

The second she hit the carpeted floor of the living room Barriss felt another form lay down beside her, before she could object Ahsoka offered a loud yawn and wrapped an arm around her chest as the young Togruta fell asleep in a matter of seconds. With her face still against the carpet Barriss squirmed from under her friends grip "Ahsoka...uh...I'd rather...oh forget it" after letting loose a yawn of her own Barriss pulled Ahsoka's body a bit closer before closing her heavy eyes.

* * *

><p>Ahsoka woke up and immediately wrapped a hand around her throbbing montrals "oh force, that bartender was full of crap" slowly realizing her face was pressed against the coarse carpet she stood to her feet, still swaying a bit as she regained her balance "non-alcoholic my ass".<p>

"I thought master Skywalker wanted you to work on your language" Barriss walked into the living room from the hall running a brush through her black hair "you should take a shower, we still have about half an hour before we're scheduled to meet with master Kenobi"

"hey, are you saying I stink?"

"no, but apparently those drinks we had last night were stronger than we were told, I don't think master Kenobi would react very well to us showing up reeking of alcohol"

Ahsoka opened her mouth to reply but caught a whiff of her own breath in the process "a shower sounds like a good idea" walking past Barriss and into the hall she stopped halfway to the refresher and let a sly grin cross her face "care to join me?". The look on Barriss' face was priceless, but what was even better was that for a split second the girl seemed to actually consider the offer, thinking quickly Ahsoka raised both her hands in the air "kidding!, you knew I was kidding right?".

* * *

><p>Barriss shook her mind clear of it's most recent thoughts "of course, I'll uh...I'll meet you at the mess" before she could see the puzzled look on her friends face she turned and practically ran out the quarters and straight into the familiar form of Luminara Unduli. No sooner had she hit the ground than an olive skinned hand help her to her feet "sorry about that master"<p>

Luminara smiled down at her "are you okay Barriss?, you seem more jittery than usual"

Barriss began to follow her former master down the hall "sorry master, I guess being around Skywalker for so long gets to you after a while"

"I can only imagine"

"with all do respect master, was there something you wanted to talk to me about?"

Luminara let out a dry laugh "all this time at the temple must be getting to me if I'm _that_ easy to read, yes there was something young one. I wanted to make sure you aren't taking being assigned to Skywalker personally, it was only meant to be a short transition at first but after..." Luminara gestured to the small limp she still carried with every step"this, I'm afraid I won't be in a condition to teach you for some time".

Barriss looked to the floor, it wasn't like master Unduli to be so direct with her feelings but as much as she would like to say otherwise she was a little insecure about her former masters confidence it her "I'll admit the thought had crossed my mind, but I have nothing but respect for your decisions master. If assigned to Skywalker is where you think I should be, then that is where I'll be".

"thank you Barriss, it...means a lot to hear you say that. So where were you headed to in such a hurry?"

"the mess hall master, care to join me?"

"it would a pleasure, my former apprentice".

* * *

><p>Ahsoka walked out of the refresher towards the living room with a long towel wrapped around her chest, no sense for modesty when she was the only one in "master Yoda!" turning her back to the meditating form she immediately put all her will into keeping the towel in place "I...didn't sense you coming in master. Would you mind..." her words were cut short as master Yoda extended a small arm and floated a pile of clothes into her arms.<p>

As she got dressed master Yoda kept his closed eyes towards the window "prepared for a situation before it arises, a Jedi must be"

Ahsoka got her clothes on faster than she knew she could "yes master, I just assumed..."

"a Jedi's place to assume, it is not. Adapt and learn from there mistakes, a Jedi must"

"of course master"

with a long sigh master Yoda rose to his feet and gestured to the couch "come young one, sit". Ahsoka bowed slightly before moving to the couch, without a word shared between them Yoda took the young girls hand and closed his eyes "hmm...a friendship you have with padawan Offee correct?"

"yes master"

"much fear I sense in you, afraid to lose her are you?

Ahsoka swallowed a lump in her throat, she knew full well what she had to say "with all do respect master that question doesn't make any sense" when the only answered she received was silence she took the hint to continue "isn't it impossible to lose someone you care about?, I mean as long as you keep them in your heart they're never truly gone right?".

Master Yoda softly patted the girls hand before releasing it "good young one, very good" turning to the door the Jedi master stopped just inches short "remember one thing you must, fear is the path to the dark side, fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate...leads to suffering. Careful you must be, or overtake you the dark side will".

* * *

><p>Barriss watched Ahsoka enter the mess at the same time Luminara left, with a warm smile she gestured for her friend to sit "took you long enough" even as she sat down Barriss could tell something was wrong with the young Togruta "you okay?"<p>

Ahsoka nodded "just a run in with master Yoda, I'll be fine"

"what did he say?"

"you know master Yoda, I'll need months of meditation just to make sense of it"

"was it about us?, you think he knows?"

Ahsoka took a quick look around the mess, after realizing they were the only two present she spoke "I'm not sure, he referred to our relationship as a friendship but some of the things he said, I don't what to think right now".

Before Barriss could offer any words of comfort a mouse droid stumbled it's way to her with a plate in each hand, after placing a plate of food in front of each girl the droid turned and started back towards the kitchen. Barriss looked into the nearby kitchen and offered a light wave in James' direction before turning back to Ahsoka "I think if master Yoda knew we wouldn't be sitting here in the temple to talk about it"

From the look on Ahsoka's face she could tell her words had hit home a little more than she wanted them to "Ahsoka I didn't mean..."

"trouble in paradise" James walked up to the table and started to rub Ahsoka's shoulders, after being immediately shrugged away the boy pulled a cloth from his pocket and began to wipe the table "well I got something that might help lighten the mood, just got the call last night, I'm picking my mom up from the hospital right after my shift ends"

Barriss could sense a mix of emotions flow through her friend, happiness, remorse, grief, obviously there was more surrounding this than he was letting on but she knew better than to press the subject "that's great James, does this mean you'll be quitting your job here?"

James rolled his eyes as he passed the now dirty cloth to a nearby mouse droid "please Barriss, I don't know how this place got along without me. These mouse droids are worthless without someone to guide them, besides, we still have the situation with you two to solve"

Ahsoka's interest in the conversation seemed to peak at the last few words "that reminds me, do you want this necklace back"

James looked at the jewelry around the girls neck for a second with a hint of recollection in his eyes before shaking his head "that was moms, it was the only thing I was able to save from the fire. Besides her of course, keep it, please"

Ahsoka's eyes widened "I had no idea James, I'd be honored to keep it".

As the boy turned to walk away Barriss brought a hand up to stop him in his tracks "wait James, you've done so much to help us, I think it's high time we returned the favor. What exactly happened to your mother?"

James muscled tensed as he kept his back from the table "I...I don't want to talk about it" before the boy could take another step away Barriss floated him off his feet, rather than struggle he simply lowered his head "just one time I'd like to talk to you two without my feet leaving the ground, fine, if you _really_ want to know then just let me down".

Barriss let the boys feet touch the ground before releasing him, after unfastening his apron and throwing on top of a nearby mouse droid James walked to the table and sat down beside Ahsoka "about a year ago my dad decided he was going to volunteer for the Republic army, he was a general before but retired long before the start of the clone wars. Well mom didn't agree with his decision, some words were shared, some things were said that...well shouldn't have been said, and he left".

Both girls sat in silence as he continued "everything fell apart after that, without dad around mom just couldn't handle being the houses only provider. Credits got more and more scarce as time went on, I knew that something had to be done before we went completely broke. The Clones offered me something that at the time no one else could, a solution"

Barriss raised an eyebrow "the clones, you mean the Republic troopers?"

James let out a dry laugh as he shook his head "no, sorry should have been a little clearer. The Clones are...well _were_...a gang, they basically controlled the entire district I used to live in"

"so you joined them?" Ahsoka asked

James let his gaze drop to the floor "it's not something I'm proud of...but yes I joined them, I took the nickname Clips and went on to do a number of things I'll never be able to forget. Mom never asked were the credits were coming from, I never told her either. For a while everything worked out pretty well, given the circumstances"

Ahsoka wrapped an arm around the boys back "but..."

"but one night we got a tip about this new store that just opened up, apparently it was family owned, perfect uh...perfect target. The job went well enough, no one got hurt and I made enough credits to support me and mom for a good few months. It wasn't until about a few weeks later, when fellow members started...disappearing, that we learned the store had been under the protection of the Hutts"

Barriss shook her head "impossible, when Ziro the Hutt was killed the Hutts lost their only connection to Corusant"

James let out a dry laugh "yeah, tell that to the Clones. Every single member of that gang was killed in just a couple weeks, granted most of them were street trash, people the galaxy would be better off without. But a few of them were my friends, they didn't deserve to go out like that"

Ahsoka rubbed the boys back as his fists clenched on top the table, taking a few seconds to calm himself he continued "I was the last one left, and I knew something was coming, do you have any idea how bad it is to know death is out there looking for you?, stalking your every move" as he talked James gaze seemed to leave the room altogether, as if he was seeing the words as he spoke them "I was in the kitchen when it started, a barrage of laser fire from outside. Just thank the force my mom was upstairs at the time, when the laser fire finally stopped I thought maybe it was over, maybe they'd just assume I was dead and move on".

Barriss was already shaking her head "whoever the Hutts hired would never be that stupid, they'd do something to make sure there was absolutely no chance of you surviving"

"to this day I have no idea what they threw through that damn window, whatever it was erupted the second it hit the floor. The place we lived in then was small, it was engulfed in flames in a matter of seconds. It took all I had to make it to my mom, she was unconscious when I found her. With no way back I didn't know what to do, but I knew inhaling the smoke any longer would kill me even if I did escape. I smashed out a nearby window and threw her out, the fall might have been enough to kill her, but by then I figured there wasn't much stopping that"

Ahsoka took another look down at her necklace "so how did you get out?"

"well after finding that necklace on the floor by the window I jumped, landed almost directly on my head"

Barriss reached across the table and took the boys hand in her own "a two story fall, on your head, into the cement that paves Corusant's roads. James no offense but you should be dead, no ordinary person could survive that landing"

James shrugged the words away "guess I was lucky, but I didn't exactly get out completely unscathed" before either girl could ask him to explain James pulled up the sleeve on his right arm.

Barriss fought back a gasp, the boys entire arm was covered in the unmistakable dark red mark of a very serious burn "James I...I had no idea, why didn't you mention this before?"

James pulled his sleeve back down over his arm "you two have bigger things to worry about, besides it's nothing to get upset about. They told me when I woke up at the hospital that they could replace the arm with a cybernetic implant but I kind of like it this way, reminds me of who I used to be ya know"

Ahsoka moved a hand forward to touch the boys arm but pulled back just short "so what happened after that?"

"well after that I had to scrounge up what credits I could to keep mom in the hospital, she fared a lot worse than me from the fall. It was about a month after the fire that I ran into you two, I'm still not sure why I reacted the way I did around you. Maybe after all the time alone I just wanted some company, maybe I thought I really had a chance at...well you know, either way you know the rest. Probably not what you expected, but there it is"

Barriss felt her heart drop "James I'm so sorry, but at least things are looking up now"

James stood up from the table the his usual smile already back on his face "alright so I told you what you wanted to know, but now I'm depressed. Maybe if a certain two people were to...oh I don't know make out, it would put be back in a good mood"

Ahsoka let out a loud sigh "_and_ were back to regular James, you can go now, if I want annoying comedic relief I'll go visit representative Binks"

James threw his hands in the air as he turned towards the kitchen "point taken, but ya know having you two as friends could be a lot more fun than you're making it"


	14. Deathwatch

_Deathwatch!, with Mandalore's resources stretched thin in it's attempt to locate the illusive group of radicals that threaten their planets views of peace, the duchess Satine sends a message to the Jedi council, asking for their help with the investigation. Hoping to finally put the problem to rest Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi, along with padawans Barriss Offee and Ahsoka Tano, are sent to the neutral planet to help in any way they can. But for one young Togruta, the trip may become more than she bargained for._

**Chapter 14: Deathwatch**

Barriss and Ahsoka met up with master Obi-Wan and the small blue and white astromech she recognized as artoo on one of the many small docking bays connected to the Jedi temple, the familiar design of a T-6 shuttle sat almost as if the ship itself was awaiting their arrival. Obi-Wan smiled as the two girls approached the sun drenched ship "showing up on time, not something I would expect from Anakin's padawans"

Barriss bowed lightly "we would have been here earlier master but Ahsoka had to stop and chat with everyone we passed"

Ahsoka bowed as well, but with a pair of squinted eyes pointed in her friends direction "I like company, is that a crime all of a sudden?"

Obi-Wan raised a hand before the conversation could continue "if you two are done I'd like to get moving" without waiting for an answer the Jedi master led the way into the ships cockpit and took his seat at the pilot's chair while artoo moved silently into the corner and began prepping the ship for take off.

Barriss moved beside Obi-Wan sitting down in the co-pilots seat while Ahsoka found her place behind them, the three worked in a comfortable silence as the ship lifted into the sky and carved a path out of the planets atmosphere. Once the giant skyscrapers of Corusant had been replaced with the complete blackness of space Obi-Wan moved his hand towards the hyper-drive "entering hyperspace in three, two,..." Barriss prepared herself for the slight lurch forward as the shuttle dove into the long blue and black tunnel they perceived as hyperspace.

With the ship now basically piloting itself it only took a few minutes of silence for Ahsoka to speak up "so master, not that I'm complaining but, why bring us with you?"

Obi-Wan spun his chair around so that he could face both girls "with the clone war now requiring almost all of the Jedi's concentration I think we're in danger of the next generation of Jedi seeing their role in the galaxy as generals instead of peacekeepers. I brought you two along so you could see that not every situation has to be solved with a lightsaber"

Ahsoka leaned back in her chair "hmm, I guess it would be nice for once to go on a mission that doesn't end with a huge explosion. And it'll be nice to see the duchess Satine again, you two go pretty far back right master?"

Obi-Wan nodded thoughtfully "far back indeed"

It was clear from the pain in the masters voice that he didn't want to discuss the topic any further so Barriss made her best attempt to change the subject "I've never been to Mandalore before master, I hear it has quite a history"

Obi-Wan seemed happy to speak about something else "that it does miss Offee, back before the Mandalorians offed for a planet of non-violence they were basically a military planet. Mandalorians were trained from birth to fight Jedi, to kill a Jedi was the highest honor they could receive. Unfortunately things escalated from there, before long the planet was in an all out war with the Jedi order. A war so intense it completely destroyed the planets surface to the point where life simply couldn't survive without protection from the surface, since then Mandalore is as it is now, a planet striving for peace".

Ahsoka's eyes widened "I had no idea the planets history was so...disastrous. No wonder the duchess wants Deathwatch out of the picture, they'd force the planet back into it's old ways"

"I don't think the duchess would agree with your choice of words Ahsoka, I'd imagine she'd much rather reason with Deathwatch and come to a peaceful solution"

Barriss hit a few buttons in front of her before turning back to the conversation "do you think it's possible to reason with a group as extreme in their views as Deathwatch master?"

Obi-Wan rubbed his beard for a moment before answering "I sure hope so miss Offee, I sure hope so".

* * *

><p>Barriss looked in awe at the giant black dome that housed Mandalore's capital city, the T-6 shuttle flew inside and docked at what she could only describe as a glass city. While waiting for the shuttles landing gear to set down she took the moment to better appreciate the view in front of her, a silver and white hue gave the entire city a futurist look, and almost every floor, wall, and ceiling of the nearby buildings could be seen through, showing the forms of several people going about their business "it's beautiful".<p>

Ahsoka moved to the front of the cockpit and looked out the view port, the girls eyes were immediately drawn to Barriss' reflection through the glass "yes, quite beautiful". Barriss had to turn her face away from Obi-Wan as the Jedi master led the way out of the ship, stepping out onto the docking bay they were greeted by a man in blue and silver armor.

The man gestured to a transport at the end of the docking bay "the duchess is waiting for you general Kenobi"

Obi-Wan turned towards the transport with a polite nod "far be it for us to keep the duchess waiting"

Barriss felt the transport take off just seconds after she found her footing, as the small vehicle moved gracefully through the air she leaned on the rail in front of her, her eyes scanning the inside of each building as they passed it "why would Deathwatch want to bring a civilization as peaceful as this to it's knees?"

Obi-Wan crossed his arms across his chest "they believe the Mandalorians have forsaken their true warrior background because they've been made weak by the duchess and her government. Ever since the pacifist movement of..."

Barriss tried to keep her attention on Obi-Wan as he talked but her gaze was instantly switched to Ahsoka as the girl leaned halfway over the transports rail, her feet dangling in the air as she investigated the town below them "would you be careful, the rails not a toy"

Obi-Wan gave her a look of confusion before turning around, Ahsoka pulled herself back up on her feet "relax, I am a _Jedi_ remember" before anyone could offer any words of protest the Togruta leaped into the air and landed with her feet perched on the transports railing "perfect balance ring a bell?".

Barriss took a few steps forward "okay first off you're a _padawan_ not a Jedi, second, I believe I told you to be careful"

Ahsoka walked back and forth on the small rail, her voice raising a few octaves as she talked "okay when did you become my mom?, I can take care of myself ya know. I don't need you to look after me"

Barriss stretched out her hand to pull the girl down but Ahsoka leaped onto the front of the transport, with a annoyed sigh Barriss turned her back to her friend "fine!, but don't come crying to me when you hurt yourself"

Obi-Wan watched the scene unfold with his usual compassion filled eyes "alright you two I think that's quite enough, time to act professional"

Ahsoka walked back onto the transport but kept her squinting eyes aimed at Barriss "of course master" Barriss simply nodded, not even attempting to hide the anger on her face.

* * *

><p>By the time they entered the large open area of the capitals main palace Barriss had been able to calm herself down some, a series of several deep breaths and a few suppressed thoughts and she was back to her old self. Unfortunately Ahsoka had less success in hiding her emotions, the girls booted feet slammed hard against the floor as she walked, filling the palace with a loud echo after every step.<p>

Barriss opened her mouth to ask Ahsoka if she'd like to walk any louder but Obi-Wan cut her off "as lovely as ever Satine"

The duchess rose from her chair, the glass image behind her losing it's bright orange glow as she did so "we have to stop meeting under these conditions Obi" Obi-Wan took the ladies hand and gently kissed it before the duchess turned a slightly red face to Ahsoka "a pleasure to see you again miss Tano".

Ahsoka bowed lightly "the pleasure's all mine duchess, how's your nephew doing?"

Satine's already beautiful face lit up at the mention of her nephew "he's staying out of trouble for once, he sends his regards" with a slight nod from Ahsoka the duchess turned to Barriss "I'm sorry how rude of me, I don't believe we've been introduced"

Barriss offered a slight bow as she took the hand in front of her "padawan Barriss Offee, at your service my lady"

Satine returned her smile "I wasn't aware that master Kenobi had taken another padawan learner"

Obi-Wan let his warm laugh fill the open room "miss Offee actually is being trained by master Unduli, I'm afraid the war has caused her to be passed around a bit lately"

"I've been under the command of master Skywalker for some time but a recent mission left him unable to teach for a while" Barriss added

Satine's eyes widened a bit at the mention of Anakin being hurt but she quickly regained her composure "maybe if the Jedi ever return to their old ways you'll be able to stick with one teacher"

Barriss raised an eyebrow "their old ways?, I'm sorry but I don't follow"

Obi-Wan began to rub his beard "the duchess believes the Jedi have forgotten their role in the galaxy"

"a Jedi's role in the galaxy is to serve as peacekeepers, to do their best to stop injustice wherever it may arise" the words left Barriss' mouth almost on instinct, master Unduli had made sure the sentence was drilled into her head long ago.

Satine shook her head "we don't have time to get into this discussion right now, the faster we find where Deathwatch is hiding the sooner we can leave this problem behind us"

Obi-Wan gestured outside the palace "Barriss, Ahsoka wait for me outside. Once we have a course of action we can get out of the duchess' way"

* * *

><p>"Ya know it's bad enough I have to prove myself as a capable Jedi despite my age without you treating me like a kid in front of master Kenobi" Ahsoka leaned against the palace's front wall as she talked "I'll never face the trials if the council still sees me as the little Togruta who lucked into starting her training early".<p>

Barriss pushed a few loose strands of hair away from her eyes as she sat down on a nearby bench "look Ahsoka I'm sorry but if you don't want to be seen as a kid maybe you should start by not acting like one"

Ahsoka pushed herself away from the wall and started to pace back in forth angrily "did it ever even occur to you that _maybe_ I was leaning over the railing because I saw something related to the mission?"

"well...no, what did you see?"

Ahsoka turned away from her friends accusing stare "nothing, but you didn't even think that there was a reason behind it. You just thought, oh look at stupid little Soka leaning over the rail like some dumb ass young-ling"

"Ahsoka that's not what I thought at all, I was just worried about you. If you would of fell from..."

Ahsoka turned to face her "oh don't even give me that!, you're just like all the other Jedi!. Just because I started my training young doesn't mean I'm any less powerful than you!"

Barriss rose from her seat "Ahsoka if you would just let me explain"

"don't bother Barriss!, I've heard it all before!, from Anakin!, from the council!. I thought you of all people would understand but apparently..."

"Ahsoka?" a strange voice caught both girls off guard

Turning to the voice Ahsoka's face turned as white as her orange skin would allow "Lux!" even as the name left her lips she knew she was right. The boy running up to her had gotten a bit more muscular, and seemed to be wearing some sort of gray and blue workers outfit, but otherwise was instantly recognizable.

Lux crossed the space between him and Ahsoka in a matter of seconds, stopping just short of a hug and instead shaking the girls hand "I knew it had to be you, there was a rumor going around the cargo bay that a group of Jedi were visiting the palace. When one of the guys said they saw a...well I'll spare you the details but I knew it was you, it's so nice to see you again"

Ahsoka matched the boys smile "it nice to see you two Lux"

Barriss cleared her throat as loud as she could, forcing both heads to turn in her direction. Ahsoka rolled her eyes at the girls obvious jealousy but Lux took the sight of the other girl a bit better, offering a bright smile in her direction "Ahsoka, is this a friend?".

Before Ahsoka could answer Barriss rose from her seat and shook Lux's hand "_close_ friend, the names Barriss Offee"

apparently not hearing the resentment in Barriss' voice Lux smiled as he shook the girls hand "a pleasure miss Offee, so what are you two doing here?"

Barriss turned her gaze away as soon as she could so Ahsoka took it upon herself to answer the question "master Kenobi hopes we can help the Mandalorian government in..."

Barriss stepped her way into the conversation "Ahsoka, I really don't think it's a good idea to be sharing such sensitive information with someone we know so little about"

Ahsoka rolled her eyes once more "oh please Barriss, would you just relax for once in your life?"

Lux rose a hand into the air "uh it's fine, I understand if..."

the boys words were cut off as Barriss stared angrily at her friend "Ahsoka I'm starting to think you don't respect my judgment"

Ahsoka returned the stare being aimed at her, going as far as to take a few steps forward so that there was only inches between their faces "well maybe if you didn't sound more like an overprotective parent than a concerned friend I could take your suggestions seriously"

"what is up with you lately?, your acting like a such a...a..."

Ahsoka threw her arms into the air "oh just say it Barriss!, I'm acting like a kid!. All this time!, after all we've been through together and that's still how you see me!"

Barriss shook her head slightly before turning and walking away from the palace "if that's really what you think Ahsoka then maybe all this was a mistake!"

Ahsoka looked at her departing friend in shock before quickly wiping the look from her face "fine!, just go then Barriss!. After all that's happened just walk away!" more than a few passing people stole a glance in the fights direction, even those walking underneath the palace watched the scene unfold through the reflective floor. With every step Barriss took Ahsoka's anger grew "is this really how you're gonna have it end!"

Barriss stopped in her tracks, shooting a hateful glare to the people staring at her as she thought the next words as loud as she could _'if after all this you still think I see you as a kid I don't see how this relationship can go anywhere!, I thought you loved me the same I love you!, but apparently I was wrong!'_ without looking back to see if her words hit home Barriss continued to walk away, seemingly disappearing into the first crowd she hit.

* * *

><p>Ahsoka felt an emptiness in her soul the second Barriss disappeared from view, feeling almost lightheaded she sank bank onto the nearby bench with a hand on her forehead. Lux rushed forward and eased the girl onto her seat "whoa easy Ahsoka, are you okay?".<p>

Shaking herself back into reality Ahsoka pushed the boys hands away "I'm fine Lux, I'm...sorry you had to see that"

Lux took a step back before sitting down beside Ahsoka on the bench "not that it's any of my business but that fight seemed a little odd, aren't Jedi supposed to hide their true emotions?"

"it's complicated Lux, very, _very_ complicated" before the conversation could continue Obi-Wan emerged from the palace's front entrance.

Seeing Ahsoka and Lux and Jedi turned and walked up to the bench "Ahsoka where is Barriss?, and who's this?"

Ahsoka thought for a moment before answering, her voice still weak from all the shouting just minutes ago "Barriss...well...Barriss thought she saw someone suspicious and took off after them, and this is Lux Bonteri, a friend"

Lux rose from his seat and politely bowed to the Jedi master "a pleasure general Kenobi, I've heard a lot about you down at the cargo bay. You're very popular here on Mandalore"

Before Obi-Wan had a chance to answer Ahsoka stood up and cast an confused look at Lux "alright Lux that's the second time you mentioned the cargo bay, what's going on?"

Lux gestured to his clothes "it's not obvious?, after...after what happened, I realized it was time for my life to change direction. I hopped the first ride off Raxus I could find, turns out they were coming here to Mandalore. Figured this a good of place as any for a fresh start, I got a job delivering supplies between here and the moon Concordia"

Obi-Wan rubbed his beard thoughtfully "I'd be careful Mr. Bonteri, Concordia is where I last ran into the Deathwatch"

If Lux was surprised by the information he did a good job of hiding it "Concordia is a large moon general, don't worry I can take care of myself. In fact I'm supposed to be there as we speak" turning to Ahsoka the boy offered a light bow "it really was nice seeing you again, but I'm afraid I must be going".

Lux had just enough time to take a few steps away from the palace before Obi-Wan called after him "wait Mr. Bonteri, I can't let you go to such a dangerous place alone. It would be against the code, Ahsoka will go with you as a Jedi escort"

Ahsoka shifted her eyes between Lux and Obi-Wan "are you sure that's a good idea master, what if you run into trouble here?"

Obi-Wan returned the padawans gaze "should trouble arise me and padawan Offee will handle the situation, if you leave now you won't be gone more than a few hours anyway"

"but..."

"this is _not_ up for negotiation Ahsoka, you are to escort Mr. Bonteri to Concordia and back before meeting me and Barriss back here at the palace. Is that understood?"

Ahsoka chanced more look in the direction Barriss had disappeared before finally nodding her head "of course master"

As she ran to catch up with the already departing Lux Obi-Wan's voice bellowed behind her "I'd stop at the shuttle and pick up your coat, Concordia is quite cold this time in it's rotation. And take the astromech with you, I don't know why Anakin insisted I take that droid but you never know when he might come in handy".

* * *

><p>Barriss wiped a new stream of tears from her eyes as she walked along the see through walkway, every person she passed stole a glance in her direction but no one seemed brave enough to ask her what was wrong.<p>

Pulling her hood over her head and allowing her bangs to completely cover her eyes Barriss shoved her way through a group of people before setting down on the first bench she could find, using both hands to hide her face from the relentless stares did nothing to help the fact she could still _feel_ the eyes upon her.

_'What do I do now?, I gave up everything I ever knew to be with her and now it's over. I can't just go back to the way things were, I've broken the Jedi code for force sake. After all we went through this is how it ends, this is...unbelievable'_. The eyes on her only grew with each passing second, men, women, even a few children were drawn to the once in a lifetime site of a Jedi bursting into tears.

But still none of them moved forward to comfort her '_figures, everything the Jedi do for the galaxy and look at the thanks we get_'. "What's wrong young one?" Barriss moved her tear soaked hands to her lap and wiped a new stream of tears on the inside of her hood as she looked up to the face of the last person she'd expect to see right now. The duchess Satine gave a silent gesture for the group of nearby civilians to go about their business and sat down beside her on the bench.

Barriss kept her gaze aimed at the ground, watching a few people walk by in the lower level of the walkway as she struggled for the right words, or any words for that matter "duchess, did you ever do something in your life that required looking at yourself in a completely different light?".

Satine was silent for a moment before answering, keeping her words as soft as possible "your asking a politician my dear, it comes with the job"

"no you don't...oh forget it" Barriss once again buried her face in her hands as another stream of pain filled tears bellowed out from her very soul, not knowing or caring if anyone else was watching she made no attempt to hold back the fast, forceful breaths that escaped her lungs "after...how?...why?" the words came out in such a violent spasm of sadness and anger that she was sure each ripped a new hole in her heart.

Satine wrapped an arm around her back, the gesture doing little to add any comfort to the situation "the fight you had with Ahsoka, that's what this is about correct?" all Barriss could bring herself to do was nod as the duchess continued "before you ask Obi-Wan didn't see or hear any of it, when my guards brought the situation to my attention I made sure he stayed in the palace till you left".

Even with her mind in it's mix of emotions Barriss was able to understand what the duchess was saying, the realization was enough to stop the tears, for a few seconds at least "then...you know?"

Satine rubbed the small of the girls back as she nodded "in my line of work you start to pick up on the little things others miss, just seeing the way you two act around one another was enough to tell me there is a deep connection"

Barriss felt a small wave of worry wash over her before she remembered today's most recent events "tell master Obi-Wan if you want, I don't care what happens to me anymore"

Satine shook her head lightly "you misunderstand me dear, I only want to help"

"but...the Jedi code..."

"is none of my business" Satine interrupted "I know what's it like to be in love with someone who can't love you back, the fact you two decided to put true love above all else...it's inspiring"

Barriss once again forgot all her training as she erupted into tears, Satine shooed along a few passing bystanders as she went back to rubbing the girls back "it's okay dear"

At the last of the duchess' words Barriss had finally had enough, letting all her pent up anger finally flow freely through her she pushed Satine's arm away and stood to her feet "how!, how is any of this okay!. She was the only one I'll ever love and our relationship was over before it even started!, how is that okay!"

Satine stood from her seat and, in a move that took Barriss by complete surprise, put a rather strong hand on each of the girls shoulders "listen to me dear, the love between you and Ahsoka is not over, you don't have to be a Jedi to know that. Don't let a simple fight ruin the most amazing thing in the universe, take it from someone who is forced to live everyday with an emptiness in her heart, true love _is_ worth the risk".

* * *

><p>After a short trip back to the T-6 for her winter coat and to pick up artoo Ahsoka walked in silence beside Lux as she was led to a rusty, almost beetle shaped ship at the edge of the docking bay. Wiping a stray tear from her eye before the boy could notice she shook her thoughts from her head <em>'focus Ahsoka, focus'. <em>The motion didn't go unnoticed however, leading the way inside the large ship Lux raised an eyebrow in the girls direction "you okay Ahsoka?".

Ahsoka walked past Lux and sat down in the seat closest to the ships exit "I'm fine Lux, really" even she didn't buy the words coming out her own mouth but Lux simply shrugged as he sat down in the pilots seat. Artoo offered a few short beeps as he slid inside the ship and found the interface that seemed to be used everywhere in the galaxy before plugging himself in and prepping the ship.

Lux let out a small laugh from his seat "nice to have a droid, it usually takes this bucket of bolts forever to take off" Ahsoka tried to laugh but it came out as more of a light moan. Just when the ship was ready to take off Lux powered it back down, before she could ask what the problem was the boy spun his seat around to face her "alright that's it, we don't leave this docking bay till you tell me the truth. What was that fight about?".

Ahsoka turned her head to avoid Lux's gaze "Lux I really don't feel like talking, can we just go?"

Lux crossed his arms in a defiant motion "not until you start telling the truth"

"Lux this is rather childish don't you think?"

"maybe it is, but I don't plan on spending an entire flight in silence. So I suggest someone starts talking" with the last of his words Lux leaned back in his chair "try and wait me out if you want but keep in mind I have _all_ day to make this delivery".

Ahsoka sat in silence for as long as she could stand to (about ten seconds) before finally raising from her seat "ugh...fine, just start the kriffing ship" with a triumphant smile Lux turned his chair back around and wrapped his hands around the controls, within a matter of seconds the ship sprang to life and lifted off the docking bay and into the sky.

When the all too familiar sight of stars filled her gaze Ahsoka sat back down in her seat "so what do you want to know?"

Lux tapped a few buttons and flipped a series of switches before turning his chair back around "what was that fight all about?, and don't give me the teenager excuse because I know for a fact Jedi aren't supposed to act like you two did, no matter their age"

Ahsoka kept her gaze out the ships front window "simple, I thought Barriss respected me despite my age, I was wrong"

"your age, isn't Barriss the same age as you?" Lux asked

"she's a few years older, I...began my training early. Ever since master Yoda assigned me to Skywalker I've had to prove myself time and time again, I have to keep besting myself to keep the view off my age"

"the Jedi are really that judgmental?"

"well...not openly. But just the way some of them act around me, they think I'm too young to be where I am, I just know it"

Lux turned back towards the controls as the giant orb that was the moon Concordia loomed over the ships view port "well it seems to me that maybe you're looking at this the wrong way"

"what do you mean?"

"I mean maybe the reason you started your training so early is because the Jedi see how much promise you have to be a powerful warrior, maybe just how strong you are scares them"

Ahsoka laughed "yeah if only, what I wouldn't do to have that problem"

"no I'm serious" as Lux turned his chair to face her Ahsoka noticed something different about the boy she didn't see earlier, the look in his eyes that used to be the usual curiosity of someone his age was replaced with that of fierce determination, the very same look Anakin would get when she or someone else he cared about was in danger.

The look sent a shiver down her spine and made her suddenly realize just how small the cockpit they were in truly was, as slowly and comfortingly as she could Ahsoka forced herself to speak "the uh...the Jedi aren't warriors Lux, we're peacekeepers"

Lux stood from his chair and took a few steps across the small cockpit, stopping mid way between himself and Ahsoka the boy turned to the side and opened a small compartment on the ships console. Before she could open her mouth to ask what he was doing Lux turned back with a small glass in each hand "it's going to be a while before this heap gets us to Concordia, thirsty?".

Ahsoka had to shake the situation into reality as a glass filled with a thick green liquid was put in her hand "uh Lux are you...feeling okay?"

Lux moved back to the pilots seat and took a few sips from his glass, his calm voice sounding nothing like the look in his eyes would suggest "a poor choice of words on my part, I know the Jedi are strictly non-violence, at least when they can be. All I meant was...Ahsoka you can do so many great things, aren't you ever tempted to use that power for something more?"

Ahsoka rose the glass to her nose and sniffed the contents before taking a drink, the green drink left a strong aftertaste in her mouth but the soothing liquid did seem to calm her nervous stomach _'no alcohol for sure this time'_. As her muscles relaxed a bit she found it all the easier to speak "Lux using my powers for my own gain is just plain selfish, so many beings in the universe depend on the Jedi to keep them safe, I could never turn my back on them"

Lux was silent as he emptied his glass of it's contents, after setting the empty glass beside his chair he turned back to the controls "so noble Ahsoka, I for one wouldn't make the same decision" Lux's hands worked in silent unison to control the ship as Concordia encased the entire view port "you see after my mom died I finally realized just how dark this universe can be, everything you have can be ripped from you in a matter of seconds. Do you have any idea what it's like to lose everything you've grown to love?"

Ahsoka felt her heart beat increase as her vision began to fade, the world around her slowly being overrun by a darkness she knew to be unconsciousness, grabbing the side of the seat to avoid falling over she struggled to will her voice to speak "Lux...I don't feel..."

Lux nodded from his seat, watching the girls form from it's reflection on the view port "should of warned you about the drinks, they tend to not agree with certain species, you'll be fine after a short rest. Just relax Ahsoka, I got everything handled".

* * *

><p>Barriss wiped the last of the tears from her dry eyes as she sensed Obi-Wan's presence moving closer to her position, the duchess had long since left but the last of her words refused to go with her. Standing to her feet Barriss felt a new wave of excitement wash over, she knew full well what she had to do, now all she needed was her favorite person in the universe to accomplish her goal.<p>

But the solution also seemed to be the problem, the only Jedi she could sense besides herself was the ever approaching master Kenobi, only one question escaped her lips as she finally saw Obi-Wan appear from a group of people in front of her "where's Ahsoka?"

Obi-Wan's eyes scanned the area "escorting Lux Bonteri to Concordia, so did your suspect get away?"

Barriss couldn't help but smile _'even in a fight she still covers for me'_ "no master, it turned out to be a false alarm, sorry for running off like I did"

"nonsense miss Offee, you followed your instincts. But I think I might have a led that will hold a bit more promise" with a wave of his hand Obi-Wan began to lead the way down the walkway "first things first, I believe you needed training with your new lightsabers correct?"

Barriss un-clipped the paired sabers from her side as they once again neared the palace doors, stepping inside the large open area she admired the gold chandeliers dangling above her head before activating both sabers, a blue blade sprang forwards from each hilt "master Unduli never thought I'd need training with these type of sabers, I'm afraid I don't know anything beside the basics".

Obi-Wan ignited his own lightsaber "then that's where we'll start, the most important thing you need to keep in mind when using two sabers is speed. Every strike you make should be swift and short, never give your enemy a chance to strike against you"

With a silent nod Barriss took the cue to attack, one leap was all it took to clear the space between herself and Obi-Wan. She swung both sabers with all the strength she could muster, the second the sabers made contact they were flung from her grasp, the deactivated hilts hit the ground beside her. Rather than scold Obi-Wan simply watched as Barriss pulled the sabers back into her grasp "what did I do wrong master?".

Obi-Wan waited for the girl to retake her position in front of him before answering "attacking with both sabers at once can be a costly move, you always want each saber moving independently of one another. By the time you start an attack with one the other should be ready to strike, try again young one"

"yes master" once again one step moved her into range to strike, this time she brought up her left saber first, aiming straight for the Jedi master. Obi-Wan blocked the first saber with a simple parry but was soon met with the next strike, Barriss swung her right saber much lower than she had the first.

Obi-Wan hopped into the air to avoid the saber as it ran only inches above the see through floor, only to be forced a few feet back the second his feet hit the floor as the other saber swung for his head "excellent Barriss, keep it going". Barriss continued to slash at the Jedi master with a series of ultra fast swings, the three sabers filled the open area with a ear piercing hiss as they slammed together.

Seeing a break in Obi-Wan's defenses Barriss brought her leg out and kicked the Jedi master off his feet, Obi-Wan hit the ground with the threatening blade of a blue saber at his throat. Barriss deactivated both her sabers and let a sly grin cross her face as she helped Obi-Wan back to his feet "how was that master?"

Obi-Wan clipped his own saber to his side "better, you're a fast learner miss Offee. Now that you have the basics covered we'll move own to the more...advanced applications of your particular sabers, push the hilts together young one".

Barriss turned the hilts in her hand and pushed both ends together, a satisfying click told her the hilts had sealed themselves against one another "seems a bit unpractical master, won't the paired sabers make a much larger target when together like this?"

Obi-Wan took a few steps back "very good miss Offee, yes the most realized fault of a paired saber, much like a double edged saber, is the disadvantage of it's vulnerability. One swing, or a well aimed blaster shot, will be enough to render both sabers useless. But with every disadvantage there is always a advantage waiting to be found, to prove my point I've arranged for some help with your training".

Before Barriss could wonder what the masters words meant a series of black shadows all but appeared inside the large palace, as the figures stepped forward and formed a circle around her Barriss instantly recognized the blue and gray armor of the duchess Satine's royal guards.

Each guard stared at her with emotionless eyes as they activated their electric tipped spears, with the sound of each electric spark now filling her eardrums Barriss activated both ends of her saber "not that I'm not eager to learn master, but shouldn't you teach me how to use the weapon first?".

Obi-Wan watched from beyond the newly formed circle of guards "I believe your master would argue that nothing teaches better than first hand experience"

Barriss slanted the saber in front of her chest, ready for an attack from any position she stood motionless and closed her eyes. Seeing the first strike before it happened she brought the bottom end of her saber up and swung on instinct, the first guard rolled along the floor as his spear sparked into two pieces.

With a respectable nod the unarmed guard backed out of the circle, Barriss blew a strand of hair out of her eyes as the next guard sprang into action, the guard ran forward and thrust his spear directly at her. Barriss stepped to the side and cut the spear with no problem before the now defenseless guard fell to his knees, the second she took to judge the strange action was the same the next guard took to run forward and use his fellow guards back as a stepping stone to send him into the air.

The guard aimed at her head as he fell towards her, Barriss rolled to the side the split second the guards electric tip hit the floor. Rather than give the guard the chance to get to his feet from the fall Barriss rushed forward and sent the guard flying out of the circle with a small force push.

Barriss swung her saber in a few threatening circles as she met the determined eyes of the last two guards, standing side by the side the guards shared a silent nod before charging her simultaneously. Barriss brought up both ends of her saber in time to block the simultaneous attacks, the guards worked in perfect unison as they slowly began to wear down her defenses with a series of ferocious swipes.

Each guard focused entirely on one side of her saber, Barriss felt her strength dwindle from each hit, she knew only a few more blows and the guards would crack her defense. Thinking quickly Barriss threw herself backwards and used the force to send her into the air, landing a few feet back on her feet she proceeded to use what was left of her strength to spin the paired sabers as fast as she could.

A blue aura formed in front of the sabers before Barriss pushed her entire body forward, the resulting blast sent the two guards into the air and knocked the spears from their hands. With her energy completely depleted Barriss pulled her sabers apart and deactivated both before clicking them back onto her side, after helping the last two guards to their feet she turned to Obi-Wan "I think I understand what you meant master, I can use the paired sabers together as a surprise tactic on the battlefield, since so few have fought a double edged saber it gives me the advantage".

Obi-Wan let a smile cross his face as he put a comforting hand on the girls shoulder "very good miss Offee, but there was another reason I wanted to test you the way I did. Just like these guards the enemy will eventually adapt to the new threat of your sabers and find a way to use it as their advantage instead of yours, you must be careful when choosing to combine your sabers. In a real battle you might not fare as well as you did here".

Barriss gave a thankful nod to the guards as they went back to their respected posts "I understand master, I will be careful".

* * *

><p>Ahsoka woke up to the familiar beeps of artoo, glancing around the small cockpit she quickly realized she was alone "Lux...Lux!" a quick glance at her waist only added tension to the already strange predicament "where are my lightsabers?".<p>

Standing her feet she took a moment to regain her composure before walking to the ships front view port, Concordia's landscape certainly was as master Kenobi had described it. A thick layer of snow covered what she assumed had been a dirt path only days ago and a forest of dark red trees stretched as far as even her advanced eyes could see.

But despite the breathtaking view Ahsoka felt her gaze snap to an all too familiar figure standing alone in the snow covered path "Lux" turning from the view port she gave a small nod towards artoo "artoo take a look around, see if you can find where Lux hid them. I'm going to have a little chat with Mr. Bonteri"

After slipping on her winter coat Ahsoka made her way out of the ship and into the snow, the falling snow already soaking her coat after only a few steps. A few light gusts of wind stung against her exposed face as she walked down the path, Lux had his back to her as she approached "Lux, Lux where are we and what did you do with my lightsabers?".

Lux kept his back from the girls gaze, refusing to met her eyes as he looked down the long path ahead of them "you should of stayed on the ship". The sound she instantly recognized as a jet pack filled Ahsoka's montrals as the first blue and black armored soldier dropped to the ground beside her. The soldiers formed a circle around her as they presented themselves, the last soldier to drop did so directly in front of Lux.

Ahsoka put a hand on Lux's shoulder to pull him back but the boy stood his ground, the slender form of her armor dignified the soldier in front to be a woman. The female soldier pointed at Lux before she spoke, her shrill voice only being amplified by her helmet "hey kid, your late"

Ahsoka took a few steps back as she put the situation together in her mind "Deathwatch"

Lux took a quick glance back at Ahsoka before shaking his head to the soldier in front of him "no, not Ahsoka. I can't do this Viola, just tell Pre Vizla to give me another day, there are _two_ more Jedi on Mandalore. One is a Jedi master, I'll trade him for Ahsoka"

The female Deathwatch soldier apparently called Viola pulled a pair of electric cuffs from her belt and pushed past Lux "you got lucky with this one kid, no way someone as small and weak as you could capture a Jedi master. You can't go back on a deal because your hormones don't wanna betray a pretty face, this one comes with us"

Ahsoka looked at the group surrounding her, escape was nearly impossible, even if she could make it back to the ship the bucket of bolts would never take off before it was crippled. With one last sinking feeling in her chest Ahsoka looked back to Lux "Lux, we were friends, how could you do this?"

Lux visually cringed as Viola slapped the electric cuffs around Ahsoka's wrists but quickly changed his gaze to the ground "I don't expect you to understand Ahsoka, but I _have_ to do this"

Ahsoka felt the cuffs send a shock through every inch of her body as she tried to break free,arching her back in pain the young Togruta was immediately pushed forward by Viola's gloved hand "get a move on Jedi!". As the group made their way to Lux's ship the engines roared to life, the resulting shock wave knocked every last person off their feet, Viola pulled the blaster from her side and fired wildly as the ship slowly whipped around and took off through the sky.

Viola turned the blaster to Ahsoka's head the second the ship was out of sight, Lux pushed through the group of guards and stood between the two girls "stop!, she's not doing this. The droid must of known enough to go for help, if you hurry you can still catch him"

Viola considered Lux's words for a second before nodding "fine, but you're coming with me. We'll take your girlfriend here to Pre Vizla" a wave of her hand sent two of the Deathwatch soldiers into the woods "you two back to the ships!, catch that droid before he reaches Mandalore!".

* * *

><p>Artoo reprogrammed all the ships power to it's engines, shields, life support, even the small motor that controlled the swiveling chairs were all cut so that that ship could reach Mandalore as quickly as possible. Plowing through space at double the speed even thought possible from the pile of bolts Lux's ship aimed straight for the giant globe that was Mandalore, reaching the half way point between the planet and it's moon the scanner informed artoo that two Deathwatch fighters were fast approaching the ships rear.<p>

Artoo let out a few frantic beeps as the fighters opened fire, quickly diverting some power to the rear shields artoo rolled the ship in a series of barrel roles to avoid the endless stream of red lasers. Lux's ship sputtered with every move as artoo pushed the old ship to it's limit and then some. A quick scan of the ship revealed a small top mounted turret that was concealed on the ships roof, bringing the turret up proved no problem for the diligent astromech but the voice of the ships computer was enough to push even the _droids_ patience to it's limit "main gun charging, 50% complete".

The incoming fire only increased when the Deathwatch fighters apparently noticed the turret, what small shields the rear of the ship had dwindled with a series of lucky hits "main gun charging, 75% complete". Artoo pulled the ship as straight up as it would go, Lux's ship performed an oddly perfect loop and came back down behind the Deathwatch fighters "main gun charging complete, batteries at 100% power".

With a satisfying hiss the main gun opened fire, a pure blue arc of laser fire shot forward from the turrets twin barrels. The first fighter went down in a matter of seconds, the once sparkling ship erupted into a large explosion as the second ship dodged hard to avoid the shock wave. It's no doubt faster engines putting it miles ahead of Lux's ship faster than even _artoo_ could react, his scanners picking up every move artoo kept the ship heading for Mandalore as the last Deathwatch fighter pulled a u turn and barreled straight at Lux's ship.

It took a fraction of a second for artoo to decipher the fighters plan, putting the energy at a 50-50 split between the engines and the front shields the brave astromech met the fighters challenge. Each ship increased speed as much as possible as they drew ever closer to the impending collision, seeing his only second to react artoo opened fire with the main gun, a blast of laser fire hit the Deathwatch fighters cockpit dead on.

The fighter erupted just as Lux's ship crashed through the remains, artoo let out an excitement filled beep as the bucket of bolts speed towards it's destination, with nothing left to stand in it's way.

* * *

><p>Barriss stood outside the palace's main entrance as Obi-Wan talked with Satine's personal guards, opting to wait for Ahsoka to return before following up on their lead had seemed like a smart idea at the time but honestly neither would of guessed the girl would be gone this long. With an odd feeling bringing her stomach to her throat Barriss turned to the Jedi master "Ahsoka should be back by now, maybe we should try and contact her".<p>

Obi-Wan dropped to one knee to match her worried gaze "patience Barriss, if something was wrong I'm sure Ahsoka would of contacted us"

"I know, it's just..." Barriss looked past Obi-Wan as a dark object in Mandalore's sun drenched sky caught her attention "isn't that Lux's ship?"

Obi-Wan turned and stood to his full height "yes I believe it is, but it _should_ be boarding at the docking bay" both Jedi stared in total disbelief as Lux's ship fell through the sky straight towards their position. Obi-Wan motioned for all those present to take a few steps back as the ship landed only a few feet away from the palace.

As Barriss took a few cautious steps towards the ship she heard the duchess Satine emerge from the palace, Satine looked at the ship before turning a confused face towards Obi-Wan "what's going on?"

Obi-Wan's gaze studied the ship "step back duchess, they're no life forms aboard this vessel. This could be a..." before the Jedi master could finish his sentence artoo all but flew out from the ship and slammed into Barriss.

Barriss' eyes widened as the droid went off into a series of high pitched beeps "whoa artoo slow down, what about Ahsoka?"

All heads present turned a confused look towards her as Obi-Wan took a few steps closer "Barriss you can understand the droid?"

Barriss waved the comment away as she waited for artoo to continue, another series of less frantic beeps made her heart beat against her chest "Ahsoka's been captured by Deathwatch!, artoo how did this happen?" with a few more beeps Barriss felt her fist clench and move instinctively to her lightsabers "Lux!, I knew there was something wrong about that boy!". Artoo shook back and forth as a compartment opened on his dome, Ahsoka's lightsabers flew into Barriss' hands "we have to go save her master!".

Obi-Wan looked at Lux's ship "no way we can take this ship back, we'll have to go back and get the T-6"

Barriss looked at Ahsoka's lightsabers in her hand, after clipping the weapons beside her own on her belt she took a minute to let her anger subside. If Deathwatch did have Ahsoka as a prisoner there's no telling what they'll put her through if no one goes to help her, but with the terrorist group apparently back and ready for action someone needed to be here to protect the duchess in case of an attack on her life.

Just the thought of Ahsoka being in those animals hands was enough to make her blood boil, but she had to put her feelings aside, at least for the moment, and look at this situation like the Jedi she was training to become "master let me go to Concordia alone, I can track Ahsoka through our force meld and sneak inside wherever she's being held before anyone even knows I'm there"

Obi-Wan looked at her with troubled eyes "I'm not sure that's the best way to go about this young one"

"master no offense but I can move a lot faster and quieter on my own, and you need to be here to protect the duchess Satine. I can do this master, I know it" Barriss put all her confidence into her words, she knew full well the only way to win an argument over the master negotiator was to _truly_ believe in your own words "this is precisely what my master would want me to do in this situation master, you _must_ let me do this".

Obi-Wan remained unreadable as he glanced at the people gathered around him, after meeting the eyes of Satine he finally nodded "very well Barriss, but stay in radio contact the entire time"

Barriss nodded as she took off towards the transport, her paired sabers already growing heavy at her side _'I'm coming Ahsoka'_.


	15. A Friend Lost, An Enemy Gained

**Chapter 15: A Friend Lost, An Enemy Gained**

Barriss had to fight through her own emotions a thousands times over as the T-6 traveled through the snow filled sky of Concordia _'if that separatist trash lays one hand on her I'll...no, no calm down. I let my anger take control and Ahsoka's as good as dead, but Lux will pay for his crimes, one way or another'_. Ahsoka's familiar presence filled her concentration as she brought the ship to a complete halt _'Ahsoka!, Ahsoka can you hear me?'_ nothing, but their was no question in her mind that the girls presence was nearby.

As a nearby clearing in the red forest below caught her eye Barriss put the ship down and pulled the paired sabers from her side into her hands, moving to the back of the cockpit she pulled the purple cape from her robe and grabbed her winter coat. Looking at the coat in her hands instantly reminded her of Ahsoka, although their coats shared almost the same shape and design Barriss had, of course, requested hers be black instead of the usual blue.

Her sabers feeling satisfyingly heavy in her hands Barriss slipped on her coat and took the first steps into the giant blizzard that was Concordia, the violent snowstorm filled her eyesight as she started her trek through the forest. Barriss felt her friends presence grow stronger with each step through the ankle deep snow, the unrelenting wind doing nothing to slow her determined legs as they all but plowed their way across the forest_ 'Ahsoka I don't know if you can hear me, but if you can I want you to know something. In case...in case I don't make it in time, I never meant anything I said back on Mandalore. I've always thought of you as my equal in every conceivable way, the only reason I said what I did was because I care about you so much. It pains me to think about you being in danger almost on a daily basis, but I realize now that's something I'll have to get used to'_.

As the red branches ahead of her got too thick to continue Barriss ignited both her sabers and began to hack her way ahead _'just know one thing Ahsoka, I will always love you, and I know you'll always love me. If you can hear me, I am coming for you, I just need a little more time. Please...please be okay'_.

* * *

><p>Ahsoka couldn't see anything through the blindfold tied around her head but that didn't stop her from knowing exactly who was in the room she now found herself thrown into, hitting the metal floor on her knees she could easily recognize Lux and Viola as they moved in the room past her. But it was the other person in the room that made her feel uneasy, she had never sensed so much raw anger inside one person that wasn't a Sith, it was towards this strange being that she aimed her words "not the smartest group you have here, it does no good to blindfold a Jedi".<p>

The familiar snap-hiss of a lightsaber caught her off guard, she all but panicked as a pure black blade cut the blindfold from her face. Ahsoka stood to her feet as the sight of the anger filled being occupied her vision, not at all what she expected the tall, devilish looking man in front of her ran a hand through his blonde hair before deactivating the black saber and strapping it back to his belt. The blue and black armor gave the man away as Deathwatch without a doubt but it was the light gray cape the man wore on his side that convinced Ahsoka she wasn't looking at just another soldier, this man had to be the leader.

The Deathwatch leader took a few steps closer and gazed over Ahsoka "a fact I've told my warriors many times over, tell me Jedi, who is it I'm talking to?"

Ahsoka stood her ground as the leader looked her over "padawan learner Ahsoka Tano"

"well Ahsoka allow me to introduce myself, my name is Pre Vizla, leader of the divine Deathwatch movement" Pre Vizla moved forward and ran a gloved hand over Ahsoka's cheek "she is _quite_ beautiful Mr. Bonteri, but I'm afraid capturing a padawan learner won't be enough to join our ranks"

Ahsoka backed up from the man's cold touch as her mind fought to accept his words, as she turned towards Lux the boy refused to meet her eyes "that's why you did all this, just to become one of these monsters"

Lux finally looked up from the floor, the same fury filled look Ahsoka had seen on the ship back in his eyes "don't you dare pretend like you care about me Ahsoka!, you're the reason my mothers dead!, you're the reason I lost everything I ever loved!"

Pre Vizla stepped between the two "enough!, there will be plenty of time for this later. Viola, take Lux to get ready" with a slight nod Viola led Lux out the door. Once they were alone Pre Vizla took another long look at Ahsoka, the look in his eyes made Ahsoka take a few steps back, finding her back against a cold slick wall the young Togruta clenched her fists in preparation for what she was sure to come.

With a cold laugh Pre Vizla turned from the girl "relax young one, contrary to what you've no doubt been told Deathwatch is an honorable group. You will be treated with the utmost respect by me and all my men, certainly nothing as extreme as what I'm sure just went through your head"

Ahsoka relaxed her stance a bit as Pre Vizla turned back to face her "what are you going to do with me?". Pre Vizla took a few steps closer and pressed a button on his armors wrist guard, Ahsoka's cuffs stopped their constant flow of electricity and fell to the floor with a soft clang. Ahsoka rubbed at her sore wrists with a slight look of disbelief "you're not going to kill me?"

Pre Vizla laughed a bit harder "_me_ kill a simple padawan learner, Ahsoka I'm afraid you have yet to truly understand Deathwatch's goal. For me to strike you down now, completely unarmed no less, would be an insult to everything I stand for" Ahsoka stood in complete silence as Pre Vizla continued "it's been so long since we've been able to capture a Jedi...alive that is, we're gonna have some fun with this young one"

Ahsoka felt a chill go up spine "what will you do with Lux?"

"your friend is quite the character, it's not often someone actually seeks us out and asks to prove himself worthy of becoming part of the Deathwatch movement. Lux will be facing his initiation in a few minutes, with any luck your friend will make a fearless warrior and join our ranks"

"he's not like you, I can sense it. Whatever you make him do won't change who he is inside"

Pre Vizla rushed forward in an instant and wrapped a gloved hand around Ahsoka's neck, lifting the gasping girl off her feet with one hand the Deathwatch leader looked her straight in the eyes "now if there's one thing that really annoys me it's when someone outright lies, I know you've seen the look in the boys eyes, that's the look of someone who has nothing left. We both know when it comes right down to it that boy will do _whatever_ I ask of him, because that look, that look only disappears with one thing...blood".

Pre Vizla pulled the darksaber from his belt and ignited it before bringing the blades pointed tip to Ahsoka's cheek, pushing the blade against her skin and letting a single droop of blood fall to the floor as the girl struggled for breath "such a shame to throw away a pretty little thing like yourself, no doubt you could put on a _quite_ a show for the men. Perhaps if you survive today's events we can come up with another use for you, that is of course _if_ you prove yourself strong enough to live"

Releasing his grip Pre Vizla let Ahsoka fall to the floor before moving towards the door, Ahsoka fought the urge to cough as she felt the air reenter her lungs "and what makes you think I won't just escape?"

Letting the door open in front of him Pre Vizla kept his gaze on whatever laid beyond the dark room "this isn't the first time these walls have held a Jedi" with an almost lazy gesture the Deathwatch leader tapped the walls of the room "Mandalorian Iron, even a padawan learner such as yourself must know it's one of the few things in this universe that can resist the cutting power of a lightsaber, this entire cell was made for one very specific reason, to prevent a Jedi from escaping" with one last look back Pre Vizla let out a hearty laugh "I'd get some rest Jedi, you're gonna need it".

* * *

><p>As her eyes met the dark blue wall of what she sensed to be her destination Barriss brought her com-link to her mouth "master Kenobi, I've found the Deathwatch base. I can sense many beings inside, the place must be huge"<p>

Obi-Wan's static filled voice tried to answer "good...Barriss...mindful...mustn't let...control..."

"master, master can you hear me?" with a reluctant sigh Barriss lowered the com-link "must be out of range". Running a hand over the cold wall beside her forced what small plan she had on it's head "Mandalorian Iron, of course" giving the wall a swift punch in frustration she pulled back a throbbing hand and took a few deep breaths "every structure has a weakness, something I can exploit to get inside, I just need to focus".

Ahsoka's presence grew more powerful in her mind with each step she took along the walls outer reaches, the soothing feeling easily blocking the cold chill against her face and the wetness of her snow soaked boots from her thoughts _'Ahsoka please answer me...say anything, just let me know you're okay'_. Once again her mind was met only with the empty silence of her waiting for an answer, shaking the rush of emotion from her she stopped a few feet short of the walls corner and dropped to a crouch.

Without peeking around the presence of two Deathwatch guards made themselves known just inches away "So you think the kid will pass the test?"

"you kidding?, the commander's setting him up against the captured Jedi, no way in hell he'll survive"

"still any excuse to see that Togruta, you think the commander will keep her alive if she wins?"

"no chance, a Jedi of any age is too dangerous to be left as a prisoner. You need to start thinking with your head instead of your..." Barriss rounded the corner and kicked the nearest guard off his feet while forcing the other into the air clutching at his crushed windpipe, igniting her saber she brought the blue blade upon the downed guard, striking the now lifeless body in the gap between his helmet and his chest plate.

Hesitating for a split second she watched as the guard she had chocked into the air reached desperately for the pistol strapped to his side, closing her open fist sent the guard to the ground with an ear piercing snap. Barriss dropped to her knee and began to look over the two bodies, flipping one body to it's side a flashing object caught her eye. Picking the object up she recognized the design of an old key card, a quick look around she noticed a small door leading inside the base, the symbol on the door matched that of the key card "just a little longer Ahsoka".

* * *

><p>Now completely alone in her small cell Ahsoka's montrals easily picked up the almost inaudible hum being sent through the room, no doubt the noise's soul purpose was to stop her from concentrating, and it did it's job well. As she started to pace back and forth in the dark room she racked her mind for any way to escape, only to come up with nothing <em>'this cell was made to hold a Jedi, escape isn't going to be easy'<em> just focusing enough to think the small sentence was torture.

Putting a trembling hand over both her montrals Ahsoka moved to the door and kicked it in frustration "hey keep it down in there Jedi!" the voice of the guard outside took her back a bit, with all the trouble of putting her in this cell she hadn't expected Pre Vizla to station someone to keep watch _'this guy's smarter than I thought'_.

With all the will she could muster she spoke to the door in front of her "you _will_ let me go" the response to her words came in the form of a short laugh.

The guard outside slid open the small view port on the door, letting a thin ray of sunlight and snow into the room as he looked inside "nice try Jedi, your little mind tricks won't work on me or anyone else here" as the eyes in the view port continued to peer inside Ahsoka felt a small chill go through her body.

As much as she tried not to think of it a plan quickly formed in her mind, using all her strength not to vomit she took a few graceful steps closer to the door "well then maybe you could at least bring me some water, I'd uh...I'd be _very_ grateful"

The eyes peering inside widened "really, how grateful we talking?"

Ahsoka felt the bile rise in her throat but forced herself to smile "why don't you come in here and find out?" the door in front of her opened almost automatically as the guard stepped inside. A cocky grin crossed the guards face before it was met with a booted foot, Ahsoka watched as the guard stumbled on his feet and pulled her arm back. The second her closed fist struck it's target the guard hit the floor of the cell, still barely conscious the guard put a hand up to his bloody nose as Ahsoka leaned forward and took the gun from his side.

Debating whether or not to knock the guard completely out Ahsoka shrugged the thought away and started for the door, before walking out she turned back to the guard "oh and sleemo, I'm _sixteen_!, what the hell is wrong with you people?" not wanting to hear the answer she continued out the door and closed it behind her, taking a few steps forward she felt the snow pelt against her coat.

Through squinted eyes she could just make out the surrounding area from the heavy blizzard, a series of small buildings just like her own stretched from both sides of her. Directly in front of her a large dome roofed building took up the remainder of the walled off area, Ahsoka tightened the grip on her pistol as she started through the deep snow "not bad Jedi!, now be a good girl and drop the gun!" swinging the pistol around she was met with the sight of a Deathwatch soldier raising from the top of every nearby building, each with a long barreled rifle aimed at her head.

Pre Vizla walked around the closest building and pulled the blaster pistol from his side "you were a little quicker than the others Ahsoka, rather impressive for someone so young"

Ahsoka raised her pistol to Pre Vizla's head "you knew I'd escape"

"of course I did, like I said before this isn't the first time these walls have held a Jedi" raising his pistol toward Ahsoka Pre Vizla quickly switched his aim to the cell from which she had escaped, the soldier she had tricked stumbled his way out the now open door with a hand on his bleeding head "I apologize Ahsoka, I told you you would be treated with respect by me and my men, I'm never one to go back on my word" with a look of disgust on his face the Pre Vizla pulled the trigger on his pistol, the red blaster bolt raced through the air before finding it's mark directly between the eyes of the Deathwatch soldier.

Ahsoka watched helplessly as the soldiers body went limp and fell face first into the snow, a sly grin spread across his face Pre Vizla turned his pistol back to Ahsoka "I assure you such blatant disrespect will not happen again, now I'll ask you one more time to drop the gun". With another look at the blasters aimed towards her head Ahsoka dropped her pistol into the snow, the heavy weapon disappeared as it sank towards the ground and was covered by the continuous snowfall. Holstering his own blaster Pre Vizla moved forward and forced Ahsoka's hands behind her back, with a tight grip on the young Togruta he started leading her away from the cell "I had hoped you would use your time to rest, but unfortunately you will have no such luxury. You wouldn't want to miss your friends initiation would you?".

Ahsoka reluctantly let herself be pushed towards the large building in front of her "what do I care if Lux becomes one of you?"

Pre Vizla smiled as he gazed along the path ahead "I'm afraid you still don't understand Ahsoka, you're not watching the test, you _are_ the test".

* * *

><p><em><strong>Mandalore<strong>_

Obi-Wan brought his com-link to his mouth "good job Barriss, just be mindful of your emotions, you mustn't let them control you" when the only reply he got was static he lowered his hand with a reluctant sigh "I hope that girl knows what she's doing"

"so I take it the council is aware of their feelings?" the duchess Satine walked out from the front of the palace dressed in her red and blue casual clothes

Obi-Wan leaned his back against the palace's metal wall "for some time now, they would actually be stripped from the order already if master Yoda wouldn't have taken a special interest in them"

Satine took a few steps closer and sat down on the bench beside the Jedi master "you don't have to sound so disappointed Obi"

"believe me duchess nothing would please me more than to put this entire situation behind me but the fact of the matter is both Barriss and Ahsoka have broken the Jedi code by acting on this attachment to each other"

Satine let out a dry laugh "pfft, leave it to a Jedi to use such an inhuman term"

Obi-Wan cast an annoyed glance in her direction "what do you mean?"

"attachment makes it sound like these girls are doing something wrong"

"they _are_ doing something wrong" Obi-Wan stated matter-of-factly

Satine rose from her seat and met Obi-Wan's eyes "how is choosing to be with the one you love wrong?"

Obi-Wan straightened his form along the wall, the unease of having the duchess so close evident in his voice "what makes you so certain we're dealing with love?, it could just as easily be a simple teenage lust that was taken too far".

The duchess rolled her eyes "Obi don't play dumb, you're too smart for it to work. I know you've seen the way those two act around each other, for force sake just the way they look at one another, those two are in love"

Obi-Wan switched his gaze to the ground, watching a number of people walk along the path below them while trying to avoid where he knew the conversation was headed "either way you put it they _still_ broke the Jedi code"

Satine brought a soft hand to Obi-Wan's chin and guided the Jedi's eyes to met her own "Obi you once told me had I said the word you would of left the Jedi order, you of all people must know what these two are going through"

Obi-Wan pushed Satine's hand away from him as lightly as he could and took a few steps away from the palace "that was entirely different, what we had..."

"what?" Satine marched forward and once again met his eyes "what we had what?"

"what we had was...Satine you know how I felt, how I still feel to this day. I don't blame Barriss or Ahsoka for what they've done, but the Jedi code leaves little room for compromise. There's not much I can do to help them"

Satine let her compassionate gaze wash over the Jedi master "when the times comes you _will_ do the right thing Obi, you always do".

* * *

><p><strong>Concordia <strong>

Once inside the bases walls Barriss was amazed by just how empty the place was, almost every presence prominent enough for her to feel had moved to the very middle of the large base just moments ago. Crouch running her way along the wall she could just make out a large domed building in the distance, moving to force jump her way there she quickly pushed the thought away _'a base as big as __this has to have snipers somewhere, no doubt I'd be picked off before I had a chance to hit the ground'_

'_Barriss, is that you?'_ the voice echoing inside her head was the sweetest thing she had ever heard and did it's usual job of sending a chill through her body _'Barriss?'_

Barriss moved behind a nearby building and let a smile cross her face as she focused _'yes Ahsoka it's me, you have no idea how good it is to hear your voice'_

_'Barriss in case I never get a chance to see you again I need you to know something, I never meant anything I said during our fight'_

_'neither did I Ahsoka, once you left with Lux I realized we can't let one stupid argument ruin the best thing in our lives, I love you, nothing will ever change that'_

there was short silence before Ahsoka answered _'I love you too'_

Barriss took a moment to check the nearby area, once gathering that she was still alone she started moving from building to building along the bases inner wall _'Ahsoka I've come to rescue you'_

_'what!, Barriss you have to leave, you have no idea how powerful Deathwatch is'_

_'yeah tell that to the guards outside, I'm not leaving without you Ahsoka'_ stopping when she reached a corner on the wall she peered around, a snow covered path was surrounded on either side by rows of targets no doubt set up for practice, each bore the unmistakable resemblance of a Jedi _'I know Lux betrayed you, I'm...sorry he wasn't the friend you thought he was'._

_'Lux wants to join the Deathwatch movement, he blames me for what happened with his mother'_

Barriss fought against the blizzard with every step, doing her best to ignore the faces of the targets as she made her way down the path _'and so he turned his feelings against you into hatred for all Jedi, do you think he'll go through with it?'_

_'I hope not, to pass the initiation he has to prove himself worthy as a warrior, he has to fight me in armed combat'_

Barriss doubled her pace along the path _'I'm on my way Ahsoka, just stall as long as you can'_ "well what do we have here?, come to rescue your friend Jedi!" turning to the strange voice Barriss was met with the sight of a female Deathwatch soldier, Viola hovered in the air just inches above the ground, the heat from her jet-pack melting the snow under her feet "we both know I can't let that happen". Barriss ignited her paired sabers as Viola dropped to the ground and moved a hand to her waist "best me and you will be given clear entrance to the arena, no one else will stand in your way. Not that it will matter after I'm through with you".

Barriss hardened her stance as Viola wrapped her hand around an object strapped to her waist, the Deathwatch soldier pulled the lightsaber hilt off her belt and ignited the blade, or what at first appeared to be a blade. Taking a few cautious steps back Barriss watched the pure black lightwhip extend from it's hilt and fall to the ground with a crackling hiss, Viola wasted no time in reactivating her jet-pack and hovering a few feet into the air, her lightwhip trailing menacingly behind her "any last words Jedi!".

Barriss swung her paired sabers in a few loose circles "yeah, drop your weapon and submit to Republic law so I'm not forced to kill you"

Viola cracked her lightwhip against the ground under her "pathetic Jedi!"

* * *

><p>Ahsoka barely had time for her eyes to adjust to the bright neon lights of the arena before she was pushed inside, the rough metal floor scraping against her knees as she stood to her feet. With the door immediately closed behind her she turned her attention in front, the large arena was much as she had expected. In thick black lines along the metal floor a square outline took up the majority of the room, stretching from her feet several feet across to a door identical to the one behind her.<p>

Besides her a number of Deathwatch soldiers stood on either side of the outlined arena, each standing with a blaster rifle in their hands at full attention. While searching for any means of escape from the room the door behind her swished open, Pre Vizla pulled his cape completely around his side as he took his place in the middle of the arena "men!, today yet another lost soul fights for their right to be one of us!. To gain this rare honor Lux Bonteri will face a member of the very order that brought death to so many of our ancestors!, and one of a race of fierce warriors!, Togrutan Jedi Ahsoka Tano!".

Ahsoka stood entirely stiff, debating against trying to get her hands around the darksaber hanging from Pre Vizla's wait before said saber was thrown into her hands "I won't kill him, it's not the Jedi way"

Pre Vizla kept his gaze past the young Jedi as he walked off the arena "then, my young friend, you will die" raising his voice for all to hear Pre Vizla motioned towards the opposite side of the arena "this fight will be to the death!, under no circumstances is anyone to stop or hinder the fight in any way!". The sound of the door opening lead every head in the room to turn in it's direction, Ahsoka ignited the darksaber and held it in her trademark Shien stance as she steeled herself for what she was about to see.

Lux walked out of the darkness clad in the same Deathwatch armor she had seen on so many before, the boy held his helmet at his side as he stepped into arena. Putting the blue and black helmet over his head before his eyes could meet those of Ahsoka's Lux pulled a strange weapon from his side, almost resembling a old fashioned sword the dark blue blade and pure black hilt gave it away as something all together different.

As if sensing her confusion Pre Vizla spoke up behind Ahsoka "a pure Iron sword, first one ever made, in the line of many to come should it prove successful. Made purely of Mandalorian Iron, like our amour and the walls that surround you it is capable of withstanding multiple strikes from any lightsaber"

Ahsoka shook her head as she crossed the darksaber defensively in front of her "Lux I know you feel alone ever since your mom died, but you don't have to this, let me help you"

Lux raised his sword in front of him and took a few steps forward, his voice sounding noticeably darker from under his helmet "you have no idea what I went through Ahsoka!, if you hadn't brought the war to my front door my mother would still be alive!". With more agility than she would of thought possible Lux leaped forward and brought his sword down straight towards Ahsoka.

Ahsoka easily parried the attack and pushed Lux back with a light force push "Lux the Republic didn't attack your home, the Jedi would never allow such an act to take place. Count Dooku..."

"Count Dooku was the one person who came to my aid when everyone else apparently forgot about me!, he was the one who told me who was responsible for my mothers death!" Lux once again moved forward, this time striking with double the strength as he swung his sword against Ahsoka's darksaber "all the Jedi _will_ pay for her death!".

Ahsoka found herself using more and more energy to block Lux's attacks, with each blocked swing she felt her strength dissipate and her stance loosen "damn it Lux the Jedi weren't responsible for your mothers death!, Republic spies confirmed it was _separatist_ forces that attacked your home!"

Lux stopped his attack and took a few cautious steps back before taking off his helmet and throwing it hard against the ground, a stream of tears ran down from each of the boys eyes "what are you talking about!"

"I'm sorry Lux" with a compassionate nod Ahsoka deactivated the darksaber and threw it to the ground "Count Dooku's personal forces led the attack, the Separatist are the ones who betrayed you"

Lux fell to his knees and dropped the Iron sword beside him "no...but...everything I've done...I was so sure"

Pre Vizla stood from his seat at the back of the arena "Lux Bonteri are you refusing to fight?, such an act will have extremely negative consequences I assure you"

Lux kept his gaze towards the arena's floor, a blistering fury curdling through his blood as he wrapped a trembling hand back around the hilt of his sword "no, I'm not refusing to fight".

* * *

><p>Barriss attempted to parry Viola's frantic attacks as the Deathwatch soldier flew in quick circles around her, striking from every conceivable direction with the pure black energy of her lightwhip. More than a few strikes hit home, each ripping small holes in her coat and giving view to the olive skin underneath. In a vain attempt to turn the tide of the fight Barriss threw both sabers from her hands, the blue bladed weapons spun through the air straight towards a surprised Viola, the deathwatch soldier turned in the air just in time for each saber to met the metal of her jet-pack.<p>

Viola's jet-pack sputtered a few short burst before shorting out completely, sending her helmet first into the deep snow as Barriss pulled the sabers back into her hands, with a frustrated scream Viola pulled the useless jet-pack from her back and threw it to the ground beside her "you're stronger than you look Jedi!"

Barriss simply smiled as she lunged forward, getting in close so that Viola's long range weapon would prove useless. Now within distance Barriss swung her left saber towards the lightwhips hilt, with a satisfying crack the weapon was burned from Viola's hand and shattered into pieces as it fell into the snow. Without giving the Deathwatch soldier time to react Barriss brought her right saber to Viola's neck, stopping just short of the gap between her helmet and her chest plate "your move, surrender or die, I will not hesitate to take your life".

Her face unreadable under her helmet Viola sprung into action faster than even Barriss could predict, a armor covered foot knocked the Jedi on her back as Viola performed a perfect back flip and pulled the blaster pistol from her side as her feet hit the ground "time to die Jedi!".

Barriss tightened her grip around the hilt of her sabers and stood back to her feet "I gave you one chance to surrender, that's a liberty I will not make twice" deactivating both her sabers and clipping them back to her belt she took one last look at the pistol aimed at her head before bringing a single open palm into the air. Viola's pistol fell to the snow as the Deathwatch soldier brought both hands to her neck, with her free hand Barriss raised the pistol into the air and shattered the weapon with one closed fist.

She watched with a blind fury as Viola struggled for breath under her helmet, a small amount of concentration brought the Deathwatch soldier into the air. Barriss began to close her open palm into a tight fist, taking pleasure in each small breath that managed to escape Viola's lungs "I've run out of time to keep toying with you, let it be known that this choice was yours to make".

Turning to face the domed building in the distance Barriss brought Viola's weakened form into the air in front of her, using the power of the force alone to keep the soldier in place she brought both her hands back and closed her eyes. A blue ball of pure energy began to swirl in between her hands, with all the strength she could gather Barriss pushed her body forward and aimed directly for Viola's gasping form in front of her.

* * *

><p>Every living being in the arena went silent as they waited for Lux to explain himself, Ahsoka took a cautious glance to the darksaber laying on the ground beside her but shook the thought from her head. A thunderous crash brought every head in the arena staring straight up as two forms broke through the arena's glass dome and fell to the ground in a mix of dust and snow.<p>

As the dust began to clear Ahsoka reached her hands out just in time to catch her lightsabers as they were thrown to her, Pre Vizla took a few steps forward and picked his darksaber up from the ground as he waved the dust away in a vain attempt to see the forms inside "what is this?". Ahsoka clipped her sabers to her side and pushed the dust away with a small will from the force, all eyes in the arena widened as the scene in front of them became clear.

Barriss re-activated her paired sabers and plunged both blue blades into Viola's motionless form before standing to her feet and pulling her hood down, blowing a few stray strands of hair from her face as she cast a daring look around the room, a pair of fierce eyes finally settled on Pre Vizla "padawan Barriss Offee, at your service".


	16. Back From the Dark

_A standoff ensues!, after fighting her way inside the Deathwatch base padawan Barriss Offee stands ready for the fight to come. But unbeknownst to either girl, escape will not be that easy. _

** Chapter 16: Back From The Dark **

"Enough of this!, men seize the girl!" Pre Vizla ignited his darksaber and pushed the blade inches from Ahsoka's neck as a number of Deathwatch soldiers moved forward and forced Barriss' hands behind her back "lay down your arms Jedi and the Togruta lives!". Barriss briefly met with Ahsoka's eyes before nodding her head in agreement and allowing the soldiers to take the lightsabers from her side, Pre Vizla watched the scene unfold while keeping his blade at the ready.

Before anyone in the room had a chance to blink Ahsoka brought her hand to her lightsaber and ignited the green blade, the weapon hit Pre Vizla's gloved hand in a matter of seconds, while his armor softened the impact his darksaber flew from his grasp and landed several feet away by Lux's feet. As Ahsoka forced Pre Vizla back with a small force push Barriss used the short moment of uncertainty to her advantage, turning at an almost impossible angle she brought a both feet up to the soldier on her right and kicked off his chest plate.

The soldier lost his footing and feel to the ground, letting go of Barriss' arm in the process. Using her newly freed hand to call one of her paired sabers back she quickly ignited the blade and lashed out at the other soldier attempting to hold her back, separating the mans helmet (and the contents inside) from his body. Both Barriss and Ahsoka ignited both their respective sabers as the remaining Deathwatch soldiers moved in towards them, forcing both girls into the middle of the arena.

"Stop!" Lux's voice turned every head in the arena, the boy wrapped both hands around the hilt of his sword as he turned his attention to Pre Vizla "you asked if I refuse to fight, well I don't. I challenge _you!"_

Pre Vizla's eyes widened as a crooked grin crossed his lips, motioning for his men to stand down he nodded towards Lux "very noble boy, under what grounds?"

Lux waited till each Deathwatch soldier backed out of the arena before letting his eyes meet Ahsoka's "I win and you let them go" Barriss and Ahsoka deactivated their lightsabers and clipped the weapons to their side, the latter smiling in Lux's direction as she walked off the arena with her friend close behind. Lux raised the tip of his sword in Pre Vizla's direction "do what you want with me, but lay one hand on either of my friends and I'll make sure your death is one your men will pass down through the years to come!".

Pre Vizla retrieved his darksaber and entered the arena's opposite end "very well boy, your challenge is accepted" ignited his saber and forming a defensive stance the Deathwatch leader readied himself for the fight ahead.

Ahsoka bit her bottom lip as she watched from the side of the arena "Lux he's too strong, you don't have to do this"

Lux raise his sword in front of him "I'm sorry Ahsoka, you were a true friend, if I would of just come to you at the beginning none of this would of happened. I got you and Barriss into this Ahsoka, this is the least I can do". Before any more protest could be raised Lux charged the Deathwatch leader, raising his sword above his head and bringing it down with all the force he could gather.

Pre Vizla stepped away from the attack and, with a swift kick, knocked Lux to his feet "come now boy, is that the best you got?"

With a look of fierce determination growing in his eyes Lux propped himself up with one arm and brought both legs around in a complete circle, jumping to his feet as Pre Vizla hit the ground. Barriss let out an impressed whistle "nice!"

Lux chanced a look in her direction "dad taught me that one" taking a few steps back as Pre Vizla rose to his feet Lux once again raised his sword "I'm not impressed Vizla, I can't believe I wanted to join you people".

Pre Vizla shoved his cape to his back as he moved forward, lashing out with his darksaber in a series of brutal swings. Lux's sword filled the room with a loud hiss for every attack it blocked, the boys stance visibly weakening with each hit.

When Ahsoka was sure the next blow would brake through the boys defense Lux tapped a button on his wrist, the jet-pack on his back sprang to life and lifted him a few feet into the air. Pre Vizla had just enough time to widen his eyes as Lux dropped his sword to the ground below and dove straight at him, a loud crash echoed through the arena as the two armor wearing forms collided. Lux brought a hand up to his wrist and landed on his feet as the Deathwatch leader hurtled through the air and smashed against the door at the end of the arena.

Pre Vizla shook his head in disbelief as he once again stood to his feet and reactivated his darksaber "not bad my boy, it would have been an honor to have you join our ranks, unfortunately I grow tired of toying with you" the Deathwatch once again leaped forward, crossing blades with an unprepared Lux in a matter of seconds. Using one hand to keep the boys sword at bay Pre Vizla brought his fist up and knocked Lux off balance, in the moment it took Lux to steady himself the Deathwatch leader had already swiped the boys sword from his grasp and thrown it to the ground beside him "it was a decent try my boy, but decent will get you killed on the battlefield. Men, set blasters to stun".

* * *

><p>Barriss awoke surrounded by darkness, taking a moment to let her eyes adjust she quickly spotted Ahsoka's form propped up against the wall opposite her "Ahsoka, are you okay?"<p>

Ahsoka let out a loud moan as she snapped awake, the young Togruta was on her feet in a matter of seconds "I'm fine, what about you?"

Barriss took a moment to check herself over "nothing serious"

"I'm fine too, thanks for asking" Lux laid sprawled out on the middle of the cells floor with his hands covering his face as he rubbed his eyes, both girls moved forward and helped the tired boy to his feet "did I save you?"

Ahsoka held back a small laugh as he patted the boys back, quickly noticing the Deathwatch armor he had worn before had been replaced by his lighter cargo bay workers outfit"you were very brave Lux, but I don't think even me or Barriss could of defeated Pre Vizla"

Lux nodded slowly as an odd weight brought his hand around to his back "what's on me?"

Barriss walked behind Lux and expected the object, the Iron sword he used in the fight with Pre Vizla was encased in a long, old fashioned sheath around the boys back "looks like you got to keep your sword"

Lux reached a hand around his shoulder and ran a few fingers along the swords hilt "that's not a good sign is it?"

Ahsoka shook her head as she checked her waist "we still have out lightsabers, they know there's no chance of us escaping. I only got out the first time because I flirted with the guard, I doubt they'll make that mistake again"

Barriss took a pained glance at the walls around her "Mandalorian Iron is really starting to get annoying, maybe enough time against the walls and our lightsabers might be able to break through"

Ahsoka gave her friend a worried look "are you okay Barriss?, you look...different"

The second the words left her friends mouth all the fury, all the hate that Barriss had held back to this point let itself loose, knocking the balance from her and legs and sending her to the ground clutching her head in a pain filled screamed "ahhh!"

Ahsoka was at her side in a matter of seconds "Barriss!, what's happening?"

Through the intense pain Barriss forced herself to speak as an orange hand ran through her hair, providing little comfort as she regained her breath "I couldn't do it Ahsoka, I tried to push my feelings away, to handle the situation like a true Jedi would, but I just...couldn't"

"Barriss what are you talking about?"

"the guards outside the base, I slaughtered them without a second thought!, the same with that Commander, she was unarmed when I killed her. I could of taken her alive, oh god why didn't I take her alive?"

Ahsoka felt her heart drop as she watched her usually stable friend break down in front of her, with a silent nod Lux walked to the other side of the room and sat in silence "Barriss you will get through this, you helped me push the dark side away, I'll help you do the same. Just get some rest for now, we'll talk about this later".

* * *

><p>It took a few hours of silence but eventually Barriss fell asleep, her head rested comfortably on Ahsoka's lap as the young Togruta stroked the girls hair. Once she was sure the noise wouldn't wake her Ahsoka called Lux over with a wave of her hand, Lux nodded silently before crossing the room and setting down a few feet beside her.<p>

With a roll of her eyes Ahsoka pulled the boy against her side "it's freezing, don't try and pretend you can't feel it. If we stick close together our body heat should be enough to keep us warm"

Lux shifted uncomfortably to stretch out his feet and lean his back against the wall behind him "you have any idea how we're going to get out of here?"

"think that sword of yours could cut through the wall?"

Lux quickly shook his head "ever smash a rock against another rock?, pretty much the same results"

"we'll think of something in the morning, if it's not morning now" without thinking Ahsoka ran a finger against the smooth skin of Barriss' cheek "she needs time to rest"

Lux looked at the girls sleeping form with a soft smile "so _you_ and..."

Ahsoka cut him off "yes, I don't suppose you could..."

Lux raised a hand for the girl to stop talking "your secret's safe with me" after a short silence the boy let out a soft sigh "she's a very lucky girl ya know"

"thank you Lux"

Another short silence followed before Lux once again turned his head to the girl pressed up against his side "Ahsoka I want to apologize, this is all my fault. I should of turned to you to begin with, Count Dooku assured me it was the Republic who killed my mother, he said the act came as a strict order from the Jedi. To be honest I had my doubts then, but I was so mad, I guess I was willing to believe anything"

"you don't have to apologize Lux, you felt betrayed and alone, I don't blame you for doing what you did" making sure to keep one hand on Barriss' head Ahsoka pulled Lux close and lightly kissed the boys cheek "thank you for doing the right thing, you're a true friend".

* * *

><p><em><strong> Mandalore, just outside the duchess Satine's palace<strong>_

Obi-Wan brought his com-link to his mouth for what had to be the hundredth time in the past hour "padawan Offee!, Barriss report in!" once again his only reply came in the form of static "I knew it was a mistake sending that girl alone"

"relax Obi, true love conquers all" the duchess Satine sat on a bench beside the worried Jedi master, waving at the passers by and simply enjoying the warmth of the sun as she did her best to comfort her friend.

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes at the comment "you've read too many novels, Barriss is in a dangerous situation, in more ways than one. If she lets her emotions take control she risks losing herself to the dark side, if that happens she won't just be stripped from the order, she'll be destroyed"

"which is _precisely_ why you need to take a few deep breaths and put your faith in Barriss and Ahsoka, they can handle themselves"

"be that as it may I still hate waiting" after a short silence Obi-Wan snapped his fingers "that boy, Lux Bonteri, he said he'd been working at a nearby cargo bay, do you have any idea which one that might be?"

Satine quickly nodded "the capital only has one cargo bay, it's not to far from here, why?"

Obi-Wan pushed himself away from the palace's wall "the astromech said it was Lux who betrayed Ahsoka, maybe someone at the cargo bay knows a little more about this boy"

Satine stood from her seat and pointed down the nearest walkway "the cargo bay is straight down this walkway, I can take you there if you'd like?"

"anything's better than standing here, artoo stay here and contact me if anything out of the ordinary happens".

* * *

><p><em><strong>Concordia, Deathwatch prison base<strong>_

The second Barriss opened her eyes she wanted nothing more than to close them again, the reality of their situation hit her like a mother gundark. When a slight movement under her brought her out of her depression she quickly realized her head was rested on Ahsoka's lap, taking more than a little comfort from the heat off her friends skin she blocked out the world around her.

"I got it!" Lux's words of triumph forced both Jedi out of their slumber in an instant

Barriss jumped to her feet and turned to the back of their cell where Lux sat on his knees staring at the floor "what is it?"

Lux put his ear to the floor "that incessant humming, it's strongest right here, whatever is making that noise has to be under the floor"

Both Barriss and Ahsoka moved up beside him, the latter focusing intently as her montrals tracked the sound "he's right, if we can stop that humming we could finally focus enough to use our force powers"

"and blast our way out of this damn cell" Barriss added

Lux took a step back as Ahsoka moved forward and illuminated the cell with the green blade of her lightsaber, plunging the tip of the weapon into the ground all three watched with childlike curiosity as the blade slowly burrowed into the floor. Pushing on the hilt with the full strength of both her arms Ahsoka groaned lightly as the minutes passed, after roughly ten minutes of very slow progress Barriss put a hand on her friends shoulder. A silent nod was shared between the two as Ahsoka stepped aside, Barriss wrapped both her hands around the weapons hilt and began it push.

By the time half the blade was submerged in the ground her arms felt like rubber, another silent nod was shared as Lux took her place. Both girls moved to the middle of the cell and sat crossed-legged as they sensed Lux put all his weight on top of the lightsabers hilt "let's hope the blade is long enough"

Ahsoka nodded to no one in particular "almost there, just a little more"

The lightsaber crackling in protest Lux gave the hilt one last push, deactivating the blade just in time to see a large spark light up the small cell for a split second "did that do it?"

Barriss closed her eyes and concentrated as hard as she could, instantly melding with the force presence of Ahsoka the scene outside their cell flooded into her mind. A Deathwatch soldier was stationed at each side of the door of the cell along with what had to be a sniper on the cells roof, the sniper laid on his stomach with his scope pointed directly down the path leading away from the cell "we're largely surrounded, two men at the front and one sniper on top. Looks like our best bet would be to try blasting out through the side, try and make a run from the exit while they're distracted from the blast".

Ahsoka's voice echoed next to her "it's only gonna take that sniper a few seconds to switch position, he'll pick us off long before we reach the wall"

"you're right, if we have any chance of escaping we have to do something about that sniper" Barriss let her presence spread wider, easily combining with Ahsoka's to give her a clearer image of the surrounding area "this cell's right against the bases main wall, if we can blast a hole through the ceiling..."

"we can take the sniper by surprise, jump right over the wall..."

"and run as fast as we can to the T-6, assuming the Deathwatch didn't discover it that is" with a satisfied nod both girls opened their eyes and stood up, at an odd look from Lux Barriss waved a hand through the air "don't worry Lux, between me and Ahsoka we should be able to get you over the wall"

Lux nodded as he handed the lightsaber in his hand back to Ahsoka "no I got that, but it took all three of us to get that lightsaber through the floor, are you sure you can just blast our way out of here?"

Barriss shared a worried look with her friends before looking down at her hands "before, when I was trying to rescue Ahsoka, I was able to...charge my force push"

Ahsoka read the obvious look on her face "but?"

"but when I did it I used my fear, my...anger to...well you know"

Ahsoka moved forward and took Barriss' hands in her own "Barriss if there was _any_ other way I'd never even consider this"

"I don't know if I can, if I use my anger as influence over my actions any more..."

Ahsoka strengthened the grip on her hands "don't even finish that sentence, we're gonna do this together okay, I'll be right here the entire time"

Barriss took a few deep breaths, gazing deep inside the eyes staring back at her "okay, I'll try"

* * *

><p><em><strong>Mandalore, cargo bay<strong>_

Obi-Wan looked over his new surroundings, rows of ships almost identical to the one artoo landed by the palace were docked at both sides of the long walkway, all with a number of workers either moving large crates out of the ship or putting them in. At the end of the walkway sat a small two story building, painted the same dark red of the ships around them the building easily stuck out from the rest of it's surroundings.

Satine led the way passed the workers, more than a few tapped each other on the back and stole an unreadable glance at the duchess and the Jedi as they walked by. Obi-Wan sped his pace up a few steps, sensing quite a bit of hostility from the workers "this workers seem a bit weary of my presence, any idea why that is?"

Satine stopped in front of the door to the building and kept her voice an a whisper as she talked "this cargo bay got a major amount of it's work transporting cargo from here to Concordia, after you confirmed Deathwatch was stationed on Concordia I felt it necessary to investigate this bay, to insure they weren't delivering supplies or weapons to Deathwatch. They have yet to receive authorization to deliver to Concordia, apparently most of the workers hold you responsible for the temporary layoff"

Obi-Wan rubbed his tired eyes as Satine knocked on the door in front of them, the door opened immediately and a rough voice sounded from inside "this better be important!". Walking inside a small office Obi-Wan looked at the figure setting behind a large desk littered with papers, dressed in the same usual grayish clothing that seemed to be standard issue on Mandalore it was the mans face that he focused on. Dark blond hair and a low set jaw painted quite an intimidating picture but something about the mans brown eyes and the presence he left in the force took away from his tough persona.

Even before he spoke Obi-Wan had no doubt this man cared deeply for those who worked under him, the man standing from his seat brought the Jedi masters mind back into the present "duchess Satine, a pleasure ma'am" looking at Obi-Wan the mans expression hardened "Jedi, here to ruin my business in person this time?"

Obi-Wan moved farther into the small room "I am sorry my actions last time I was here caused you such displeasure, that was never my intention"

"yeah well that doesn't bloody change what happened now does it?, just tell me why you're here so we can be done with this"

Satine politely cleared her throat, motioning for all present to take a seat before she spoke up "recently you hired a young boy named Lux Bonteri, we need to know all you do about him"

The man moved his chair closer to the terminal on his desk "yeah I know the kid, normally I wouldn't of hired someone so young, but the poor kid had nothing when he came to apply for the job. He actually stayed with me and my wife for the first few weeks, just got a new place a few blocks from the cargo bay last week"

Obi-Wan nodded thoughtfully "in the time you spent with Lux did he act...strangely"

"he seemed normal enough, given his circumstances"

Satine thought for a moment before speaking up "is it possible for you to give us the location of Mr. Bonteri's apartment?"

The man cast a suspicious glance in Obi-Wan's direction "for what reason?"

Obi-Wan kept his voice as calm as possible "the duchess just wants to extend her gratitude for what the boys been through"

"such a strong boy to bounce back like he did" Satine caught onto the lie rather quickly, lending a bright smile along with her words

The man seemed unconvinced but shrugged the look away "alight, but before you wast your time I sent Lux on a supply run to Geonosis, he should be back by tomorrow"

Obi-Wan rose from his seat as Satine was handed a data-pad "thank you for your time" with a polite bow the Jedi master led the way back out the building and down the cargo bay, once they were far from earshot of the workers he turned to Satine "ya know the whole reason I brought Barriss and Ahsoka with me was to show them not all the Jedi's duties include slashing everything in sight, with Anakin as their master I fear this is something they may never learn".

Satine raised an eyebrow "you don't think he's capable of training them?"

"I never said that" Obi-Wan let out a short sigh as they rounded the corner that housed Lux's apartment "I taught Anakin everything I know, and I have no doubt he'll do the same with these girls. But Anakin has tendency to...disagree with the Jedi code, I don't believe some of his views are right to be passed down to the next generation of Jedi"

Satine stopped on the first building they came across, with a wave of her hand she led the way through the front door and up a flight of dusty steps "how so?"

"well he seems to think if we were to just drop the code altogether we could bring this war to an end sooner"

Satine shook her head disapprovingly "such an act would cost the Jedi their humanity" Obi-Wan stopped half way up the steps as the duchess turned to face him "is something wrong?"

The Jedi master quickly shook his head "no, that's exactly what I said to Anakin"

Satine turned a blushing face back to the steps "come on, Lux's apartment is on the top floor"

* * *

><p><em><strong>Concordia, Deathwatch prison base<strong>_

Barriss watched Lux take a few steps back before once again focusing on Ahsoka's eyes, the two girls cupped each others hands together and faced their palms upward. A small blue energy appeared in their hands as Barriss felt her heart beat increase "I can feel it Ahsoka"

Ahsoka turned her head quickly "Lux over here now!" Lux pushed his back off the wall and ran up to the middle of the cell as Ahsoka nodded in Barriss' direction "make sure she keeps her eyes open!" with a compassionate nod Lux put a hand on both sides of Barriss' head, doing his best to keep her eyesight focused on the girl in front of her.

Barriss felt a pain deep in her gut, a sharp sting as she fought her instincts to use her thoughts to fuel the power inside her _'the dark side is incredibly strong!, give into your anger and you could take out __this entire base!, then no one would dare threaten her again!'_. "No!" Barriss screamed against the voice echoing in her mind, trying to turn her head she was met the strong grip of Lux's hands turning her back _'he'll only betray you again!, kill him now and escape will be that much easier!'_ "stop it!...please!".

Lux fought against the struggling girl as she screamed "I don't how much more she can take Ahsoka"

Ahsoka focused on the blue energy slowly growing above her hands "Barriss damn it keep your eyes on me!, Lux hit her!"

"what?, Ahsoka I don't think..." Lux's words stopped short when a stern look told him there was no time for an argument, doing his best to hold back he slapped the girl in front of him in the back of the head "come on Barriss you can do this!".

Barriss felt a small jolt go through her as she forced her attention back to Ahsoka _'she's gonna be in danger every day of her life!, what happens if you're not strong enough to protect her!'_ the voice inside felt as though it was ripping her from the inside out, each word cutting open thoughts long since repressed _'only the dark side is strong enough to save her!, embrace your true potential!'_

Lux watched helplessly as the girl in front of him ruptured into tears "this isn't working" using all his strength to hold Barriss' head straight Lux felt his heart drop as the force energy lighting the room began to dim "we have to do something Ahsoka, something to snap her back into reality". Even as the words left his mouth he knew what he had to do, with a few deep breaths he tried to push his own feelings away and, with one shove, pushed Barriss' head into Ahsoka's.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Mandalore, Lux's apartment<strong>_

Obi-Wan opened the door into Lux's apartment with a wave of his hand, the small room housed nothing more than a cot with a thin blanket balled up at its end and a old looking terminal in the far corner, immediately moving towards the terminal Obi-Wan sensed Satine enter the room behind him and roll up the curtain on the rooms only window.

As sunlight pored in behind her Satine turned to the terminal "I really wish this boy would of come to me when he first arrived, if there's one thing Mandalore has going for it it's a robust job market. No doubt I could of found something that would of provided better living conditions than this, poor child"

Obi-Wan began his search of the terminals contents, opening a suspicious program before closing it almost instantly "whoa, don't think that proves the boys motives"

Satine raised an eyebrow "what was it?"

"lets just say Mr. Bonteri was doing some...research on certain Twi-lek _rituals_"

"point taken, so is there anything useful?"

Obi-Wan held back a light chuckle "well I suppose in a _certain_ point of view"

Satine lightly smacked the Jedi in the back of his head "one would think your sense of humor would of gotten better over the years, I _meant_ is there anything that might give us a clue to Deathwatch's involvement in this situation?"

"nothing I can see, if Lux was smart he wiped this thing clean before he set off for...wait" rising from his seat Obi-Wan dropped to one knee beside Lux's cot "what's this?" reaching under the cot he pulled his hand back with a thick piece of paper in its grasp. Without a word shared between them Satine cleared a spot on the desk beside her as Obi-Wan unfurled the paper and moved back to the desk, both stared at the image in front of them for a moment before it became clear what they were looking at "a map of Concordia"

Satine ran a finger along the map as she tried to figure out just where the map was showing them "the man at the cargo bay said Lux was on a shipment to Geonosis"

Obi-Wan quickly nodded "at the palace he made it clear his shipment was to Concordia, obviously that was a lie to get Ahsoka to go with him"

"well he wouldn't have this map if this area of Concordia wasn't important, maybe with some time we could..."

Satine's words were cut short as a static filled response on Obi-Wan's com-link caused both to look downwards as the Jedi master brought his arm to his mouth "Barriss!, Ahsoka can you read me?".

* * *

><p><em><strong>Concordia, Deathwatch prison camp<strong>_

Barriss felt a familiar chill chase the thoughts from her mind and force her tear strained eyes to open, quickly realizing the position she was in she looked deep into her friends eyes. The sharp pain in her gut all but melted away as she returned Ahsoka's kiss, without even realizing it Barriss caused the force energy in their intertwined hands to double in size. Pulling back Ahsoka let a bright smile cross her face as she looked down at their hands "one".

Lux unsheathed the sword from his back and tightened his grip on its hilt "two"

With one final push Barriss snapped herself back into reality and moved her hands in perfect unison with Ahsoka's "three!" the force push that unleashed from their hands was unlike anything she'd seen before. Blue energy filled the small cell in a matter of seconds, an ear shattering blast sent all three to their knees as the roof of the cell erupted in a violent burst of dust and stone. The hole above them funneled in a heavy blizzard of snow from outside as Barriss and Lux held their hurt ears (while Ahsoka rubbed a pair of sore montrals), Barriss was the first to regain her composure, pulling her paired sabers from her side and igniting the blades as she kept a cautious on the hole offering escape "we have to go now!".

Lux and Ahsoka both nodded a quick reply, the latter pulling her sabers from her side and activating the green and gold blades. Barriss jumped up first, the blue blade of her saber rising just in time to cut the end of the snipers blaster as he turned to face her. A small force push sent the sniper off what was left of the roof and into the snow with a soft thud, taking a quick look around the base she could hear the distant calls of Deathwatch soldiers as they no doubt made way to their destination "up and over Lux!"

Lux tensed his muscles as an invisible presence lifted him into the air and placed him gently on the cells roof, as Ahsoka jumped up behind him both Jedi gave the boy a silent nod before once again sending him into the air and above the bases wall. Letting go of their grip of the boy both Jedi took a few steps back and cleared the wall in perfect unison, seeing Lux roll as he hit the snow Barriss landed gently on her feet and brought the boy to a sudden stop. Landing beside her Ahsoka watched as she pulled Lux a few feet back "what's wrong?"

Barriss set Lux down as gently as she could "landmines, I had to side step a few of them on my way here, no doubt this entire forest in covered in them"

Lux put his sword back on the sheath strapped to his back "thanks for that, ya know I don't want to jinx us but I can't believe how easily we just escaped" as if on cue a entire platoon of Deathwatch soldiers landed on the edge of the wall above them, a rain of blaster fire began to pour down from the wall as both Jedi deflected what shots they could.

Ahsoka motioned for Lux to take cover behind her "damn it Lux rule number one for situations like this, _never_ say how easy something is going!"

Barriss deflected the shots racing towards them at the wall in front of her, feeling a few break past her defense and race by just inches from her head "so much for a clean getaway!, follow my steps exactly!" not waiting for a response from either of her friends Barriss took off into the forest of red trees. Taking extreme care in every step through the deep snow she chanced a look back, Lux followed only a few inches behind doing his best to leap every time she did as Ahsoka brought up the rear, swinging both her sabers behind her back in a vain attempt to redirect the increasing blaster fire.

After what she guessed was about ten minutes of running and hopping the blaster fire began to die down, a few perfectly aimed swings of Ahsoka's lightsabers seemed to bring the lasers back to their owner. All the while pushing her legs to their limit Barriss chanced another look behind her, the smoke trail of three Deathwatch soldiers could still be seen as they blazed a jet-pack fueled course through the trees. "Lux brace yourself!"

"for what?...whoa!" Lux flailed his arms helplessly as he flew through the air, landing at a roll a good twenty feet ahead of the two Jedi the boy turned back with a blank expression "Barriss whatever you're thinking, don't!"

"just run Lux!, we'll be right behind you!" waiting until Lux reluctantly turned and started down the snow filled path Barriss slowed her pace to fall back beside Ahsoka "the landmines stop just ahead"

Ahsoka cast a mischievous grin "say no more" running to the edge of the path the young Togruta began to slice every tree she ran past while Barriss leaped to the opposite edge and copied her friends actions. The second the first tree hit the ground the forest of mines went ablaze, the shock wave from the gargantuan explosion knocked both Jedi off balance for a split second before a slight will from the force sent them racing away faster than they could blink.

As the mix of soot and snow began to fill her nostrils Barriss felt the presence of the remaining soldiers who had given chase fade from her mind "the explosion didn't kill them Ahsoka, but it did scare them off"

Ahsoka slowed to a fast jog "good job Barriss"

"thanks, the T-6 should be just ahead" both girls deactivated their sabers as a thick brush of red trees gave way to a large open area, in the middle of which sat the very ship Barriss had used to arrive.

Making short work of the open area Barriss led the way up the ramp and into the ships cockpit, Lux sat in the co-pilots seat with his feet propped up on the ships controls "took you long enough"

* * *

><p><em><strong>Mandalore, docking bay<strong>_

Barriss brought her com-link to her mouth the second her feet left the metal ramp leading off the T-6 shuttle, a short buzz of static followed Obi-Wan's response "Barriss!, Ahsoka can you read me!"

Ahsoka couldn't help but laugh as she leaned into her friends arm "relax master we're fine, you still at the palace?"

"no but we can be there in a few minutes, we'll talk then, Obi-Wan out"

"so...what's gonna happen with me?" Lux's voice caused both girls to turn as he finally walked off the T-6, running an obviously nervous hand over the blade of his sword "I'll understand if I have to face some kind of punishment".

Barriss led the way to the transport and waited till they were well on there way to the palace before speaking up "well, the Jedi don't hold grudges so you have no problem there, but I don't imagine Mandalorian law is too lenient on those who side with Deathwatch" Ahsoka shot her a glare before seeing the grin on her face "but I'm sure with the duchess Satine's help we can figure out something"

Lux put his sword back into it's sheath, pulling the entire strap off his back and into his hands "thank you, both of you"

Turning to the back of the transport Barriss jumped off the second the metal vehicle hit the ground next to the palace, Satine and Obi-Wan were already standing outside the main entrance, the latter tensing a bit when he noticed Lux stepping off the transport "Barriss, care to explain?"

Barriss opened her mouth to speak but Ahsoka walked in front of her "allow me master, you see when I was captured Lux believed..."

"Barriss" Lux's voice once again forced her to turn, the boy stood a few feet away gesturing for her to join him. Barriss gave a silent nod and walked away from the group behind her, once he was sure no one else could hear them Lux spoke up "listen, about you and Ahsoka, I thought you should know...I'll never tell anyone"

"oh, thank you. As long as we're here, I want to apologize for how I acted when we first met. I'll admit when Ahsoka first told me about your first encounter I was a little jealous, you two share a deep connection"

Lux let out a uncomfortable laugh "maybe me and you should just start over, friends?"

Barriss shook a the hand offered to her "friends"

"just do me one favor Barriss"

"anything"

Lux turned his glance towards the young Togruta "never let her go"

* * *

><p>After a few minutes of awkward conversation Barriss let out a sigh of relief when Obi-Wan finally waved her and Lux over "it seems I owe you an apology Mr. Bonteri"<p>

Lux waved his sheath in air dismissively "no master Jedi, trust me you don't. But uh...what happens now?, don't imagine I still have my job at the cargo bay" all present went silent as Lux searched for an answer among the group "I see, guess I'll be...".

"hey boy!" all heads turned as one of the duchess' royal guards walked up from the palace's front entrance "what kind of weapon is that?"

Lux cocked an eyebrow at the question before remembering the sheath in his hands, with a blank expression the boy pulled his sword from it's sheath and handed it to the guard "it's called an Iron sword, the uh...the Deathwatch's leader Pre Vizla came up with the idea of forging a sword completely out of Mandalorian iron so it's capable of withstanding attacks from a lightsaber".

The royal guard looked over the weapon thoroughly before handing it back to it's to owner "when the time comes it will no doubt be the royal guards who face off against Deathwatch, how much do you know about them?"

Lux took a moment to answer "quite a bit, I was around their leader for an extensive period of time and even fought with him one on one"

Satine moved forward with a smile already forming on her face "Raxun here is the leader of my personal guardians, any information you have will be extremely helpful Lux"

Raxun nodded, his deep voice filling the air around him "how about this boy, you share what information you have and in return I offer you a role as one of Satine's royal guards, after the proper training of course"

Lux took a moment to glance behind him, being met with the reassuring smiles of both Barriss and Ahsoka he turned his attention to his sword. After putting the weapon back in it's sheath he promptly strapped the sword back onto his back and fell to one knee in front of Raxun "it would be my honor".

Raxun let out a hearty laugh as he pulled Lux to his feet and started to lead him into the palace "come boy, we have much to discuss"

Satine smiled and began to head inside the palace herself when Ahsoka stepped forward "wait, that's it?"

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow "I'm afraid I don't follow Ahsoka"

"well no offense master but our job isn't done here, we know where Deathwatch is based, I mean shouldn't we..."

"what Ahsoka?, attack their base and slaughter them, your master taught you better than that young one"

Ahsoka let her head drop as Barriss stepped to her aid "I think what Ahsoka means is that it's a Jedi's job to keep peace in the galaxy, and Deathwatch..."

Satine stepped into the argument "is _Mandalore's_ problem, and we will find a solution. Your hearts are in the right place girls but with all do respect we don't need your help, Mandalore can handle its own problems"

Obi-Wan nodded slowly "we've done what was asked of us you two, Satine needed a lead as to Deathwatch's location and we've given that to her. Our job is done"

Barriss and Ahsoka both took a moment to consider Obi-Wan's words, coming to the same realization both girls bowed respectfully and answered in perfect unison "yes master".


	17. Come What May

_Mission success!, with Mandalorian forces now hot on the trail of the Deathwatch movement Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi leads padawans Barriss Offee and Ahsoka Tano to their mission debrief with the Jedi council. Sensing a change in Obi-Wan's behavior Ahsoka begins to question just how much the Jedi master knows about her secret relationship, taking it upon herself to come to a conclusion, once and for all._

** Chapter 17: Come What May**

The second they stepped inside the Jedi temple Ahsoka casually fell behind Obi-Wan and Barriss, bringing her com-link to her mouth once she sure neither could hear her "James, you there?"

James' voice took a moment to answer "where else would I be?"

"listen James, I think we should put the plan on hold for now"

"did something happen during your mission?, is Barriss alright?"

Ahsoka let a bit of offense into her voice "no _Barriss_ is fine, nothing happened during the mission. Well, okay something _did_ happen but that's not what this is about, something is off about the way the other Jedi have been acting around me and Barriss. I first noticed it when Anakin started acting strange but know master Obi-Wan is acting the same way, something isn't right"

"you think they know?"

"I don't know, but until we know more acting out our little play might just hurt us more than help"

"you're the boss lady, just be sure to keep me in the loop, James out" Ahsoka lowered her arm and took a few long strides to catch up with her friend and the silent Jedi master, Barriss shot her a look of concern before she waved a dismissive hand through the air _'nothing important'_.

Barriss raised an eyebrow but shrugged the gesture away, focusing her gaze straight ahead as the doors leading to the council chamber loomed ever nearer _'so, are we okay?, because I'll understand if you need some time after what happened'_

_'would you relax for once?, we're both here and we're both okay, that's all I need to forget what happened'_ Ahsoka shared a bright smile with her friend before master Obi-Wan opened the doors in front of them, the council chamber was mostly empty as they stepped inside and took their regular place in the middle of the room.

Masters Yoda and Windu, being the only council members present, nodded slowly as they entered. Once master Obi-Wan took his respective seat Barriss forced herself to speak "we have done what was asked of us masters, Mandalore now has a lead as to Deathwatch's location and motives"

Master Windu promptly nodded "excellent job padawans, we'll expect a full mission report by tomorrow"

Barriss bowed in response "of course master, was there anything else you required from us?"

"let you know we will, dismissed you are" a light smile crossed master Yoda's face as he waved the door open behind them.

Both Barriss and Ahsoka bowed before turning towards the door, the latter closing it behind them and bringing a hand up to stop her friend in her tracks "Barriss, just so we can finally put this all behind us, I'm am _truly_ sorry for what I said on Mandalore". Meeting with Ahsoka's deep blue eyes Barriss felt what little anger she still had from the fight disappear, without thinking of where they were she immediately rushed forward and wrapped her arms around the others girls waist. Ahsoka buried her face in Barriss' neck for a few moments of comfortable silence "I can't do this anymore Barriss"

Barriss pulled back from the hug and raised an eyebrow "what?"

"Barriss I know now that I simply could not live without you by my side, but I can't hide this anymore, I have to know something" before Barriss could stop her Ahsoka turned back to the council chamber and stormed through the door with a light force push "masters there's something I have to ask you".

* * *

><p><em><strong>Senate district, Padme' Amidala's apartment<strong>_

Anakin put his arms behind his head and stretched out on the couch spanning a decent size of the large apartment, Padme' sat at her desk in the corner silently typing into her terminal. A few hours had gone by in a peaceful silence as the sun slowly fell in the horizon, and every second the feeling flowing inside the Jedi knight intensified "something isn't right".

Padme' stopped typing and looked around her terminal "was is it Ani?"

"I think its Ahsoka, she's...troubled" rising to a sitting position Anakin closed his eyes for a moment "I don't like this, Obi-Wan told me earlier today both her and Barriss performed perfectly during their mission on Mandalore, she should have no reason to be upset"

"maybe her and Barriss had a falling out?, young love can sometimes be stressful to say the least" Padme' stood from her seat and moved to her apartments open half, looking out past the many lights of Corusant's night landscape towards the Jedi temple that was just visible in the distance.

Anakin looked at his inactive com-link and turned the small device back on "meditative retreat or no Obi-Wan will contact me if there is a problem, maybe I'm just being paranoid" a small laugh from his wife forced Anakin to rise from his seat "what?"

Padme' turned to face him, the bright smile on her lips seemed to fill the very room with a lighthearted nature "I just can't believe how quickly you and Ahsoka have bonded, you're sound like a worried father when her daughter goes on her first date"

Anakin let a cocky grin cross his face "someone is pushing their luck"

"ooh, what's the _scary_ Jedi knight going to do about it?" already turning to the door leading to her bedroom Padme' couldn't help but laugh at the look she was getting "_scary_"

"oh that's it!" taking a quick step forward sent Padme' into her bedroom with a girlish squeal, a smile escaping him Anakin quickly followed, taking one last look at his com-link before stepping through the door _'I'm sure she's fine'_.

* * *

><p><em><strong>The Jedi temple<strong>_

Barriss quickly took her friends hand and attempted to pull her back to the door "Ahsoka I really don't think _this_ is the way to go about this" when the only reply she got was a stern look she sighed reluctantly and stood at attention beside her friend "okay, now or never I suppose" doing her best to hide her true emotions Barriss felt the blood inside her rise as she fought back an intense shiver, never before had the eyes on the Jedi council seemed so intimidating.

Master Yoda was first to grasp the new situation "a question you have young ones?"

Feeling a large lump in her throat Barriss turned her gaze to Ahsoka, the young Togruta bowed respectfully before speaking "masters, as you know over the last few weeks my master took it upon himself to also train Barriss. Well over that time me and Barriss have grown closer, and something that neither of us could control took place" Ahsoka strengthened her grip on the hand gripping her own "me and Barriss have formed an attachment to one another, I love her, and she loves me" in a move that surprised all in the room Ahsoka pulled the lightsabers from her side and, with a hint of pain, tossed them to the ground "I thought being a Jedi was the most important thing in my life, I was wrong".

Master Yoda simply nodded at the girls words and switched his view to Barriss "padawan Offee?"

Barriss looked to the ground as she pulled her hand free of Ahsoka's grip and pulled the lightsabers from her side, looking at the sabers in her hand while a few lone tears escaped her eyes "from the day I was brought to the temple I was taught that the Jedi were forbidden from forming attachments, it's not until now that I realized just how hypocritical the Jedi code is. We are raised to be emotionless, so that when the times comes we're capable of making impossible decisions, but with that you teach us compassion, to hold all life sacred no matter how corrupt. Masters you must see just how erroneous that is, to instill in youth both the sympathy to care for life _and_ the idea that to grow close to such life is wrong" holding both sabers in front of her Barriss dropped them to the ground at her feet "I cannot go on serving a code I don't believe in, I am sorry"

Master Yoda sat in silence for a moment, his expressionless face giving no clue into his thoughts. After a short silence Yoda let out a long sigh "known about this attachment for some time, we have"

Ahsoka took a few steps closer to the grandmaster, the pain and anger evident in her voice "then please master just tell me one thing!, why have you let us go on like this!. We broke the Jedi code!, why not strip us from the order!"

With a polite nod Yoda gave Obi-Wan permission to speak, the Jedi master rose from his seat and put a comforting hand on both Ahsoka's shoulders "not here young one, and not like this. I ask both of you to please wait till tomorrow before making the decision you made just now, we will gather the council and discuss this with the respect it deserves"

Ahsoka looked back at Barriss before answering "fine" stepping over their dropped lightsabers both girls exited the council chamber and pulled the door shut behind them.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Padme' Amidala's apartment<strong>_

The same sensation Anakin had felt earlier came back ten fold as he rose from his bed, Padme' moaned in her sleep and rolled away from his side as he slipped his pants back on and walked into the living room. The second the door closed behind him he felt a small rumble tell him his com-link was going off, bringing his arm to his mouth he quickly replied "yes"

The voice he immediately recognized as his former masters answered back "Anakin are you still on Corusant?"

"yes Obi-Wan, why?"

"Anakin I don't quite know how to put this but, Ahsoka and Barriss must of figured out we knew about them, they basically just abandoned their training"

Anakin moved to the couch and sat down as he felt the blood rush to his head "they what!, you just let them walk out!"

"calm yourself Anakin, they've agreed to stay so that we can talk tomorrow, master Yoda is requesting you be here as soon as possible"

"of course master"

Grabbing his Jedi robes and heading for the door Obi-Wan's voice forced him to stop "you wouldn't happen to be by the Senate district would you?"

Anakin looked slyly at his surroundings "I'm...within walking distance, why?"

"master Yoda believes all who know about your padawans attachment should be present, hopefully giving each person a chance to speak will help us come to the right conclusion. I need you to stop by senator Amidala's apartment and ask her to attend tomorrow, can you do that?"

"at once master"

* * *

><p><em><strong>The Jedi temple<strong>_

Barriss led the way inside Anakin's quarters and immediately wrapped both arms around Ahsoka, keeping her grip strong she led the young Togruta to the couch and sat down slowly. "Ahsoka I can't believe we just did that"

Ahsoka's smile widened as she lightly kissed her friends cheek "I just hope it was the right thing to...oh no" before Barriss could question the girls strange words a series of loud steps led to the door opening up behind her.

Anakin stormed into the room and immediately pulled Ahsoka off the couch "your quarters!, now!"

Ahsoka pulled her arm free "master wait!, just listen!"

"Ahsoka like it or not I am your master!, now go to your quarters!" giving the Jedi knight a look of pure hatred Ahsoka stormed down the hall and into her room, making sure to shake the floor beneath them with each step she took. Seeing her friend disappear Barriss felt Anakin's presence overwhelm her own, with eyes bordering on dark yellow Anakin clenched both his fists "if this ends her training it _will_ be the end of you as well!" turning from the speechless girl Anakin started back the hall towards his room "you sleep on the couch tonight!, I sense you move one inch and there won't be reason to have a meeting tomorrow!"

* * *

><p><em><strong>The Following Day<strong>_

Barriss saw Ahsoka's face light up as they neared the council chamber, following her gaze she saw three figures standing just outside the large doors leading to the chamber, the closest one she recognized as James but the other two, aside from the fact that they were clearly padawans, one twi-lek, and Cerean, she had never seen before. Letting go of her hand Ahsoka quickly ran to the padawans "O-Mer!, Jinx!" embracing each padawan in a quick hug she took a few steps back as Barriss walked up to join the group "I'd like you to meet padawan..."

Jinx raised a hand for her to stop "Barriss Offee" looking the girl up and down the young twi-lek let out a loud snort "this is why you broke the Jedi code, I'll never understand girls"

Barriss opened her mouth her to speak but a thin grin crossing Jinx's face drained the tension from the situation, O-Mer gave his friend a strong punch in the shoulder "sorry Barriss, Jinx thinks he's funny. In reality I think I speak for both myself and Jinx when I say we're behind you one hundred percent"

Jinx nodded firmly "you led us through hell and back Ahsoka, we will stand beside you in this and _any_ situation, we got your back"

Ahsoka returned the smile of her two friends "thank you both, that means a lot" with a compassionate nod all heads turned towards James "what about you James?, I assume you're here to help?"

James let his usual smirk cross his lips "you really think I'd miss this?, I'll back whatever decision you two make. Besides master Yoda asked me to be here, I have a feeling he knew about our plan the entire time. Talk about feeling like an idiot, I made such an ass of myself"

Barriss fought back a smile "I have a feeling you would of found a way to do that either way James"

"oh kick a man while he's down, you just lost my vote beautiful" with the last of his words James smiled and moved to the bench beside the councils door, quickly followed by O-Mer and Jinx.

"Ahsoka!" a strange voice caused both Ahsoka and Barriss to turn, once again Barriss had no idea why Ahsoka's face lit up at the sight in front of her. A small light brown skinned Zabrak walked up to them, dressed in a brown Jedi robe the obvious padawan bowed to each girl before speaking up "Ahsoka is it true what they're saying?, have you really developed an attachment?"

Ahsoka motioned back and forth between her friends "Barriss meet padawan Tyzen Xebec, Tyzen this is padawan Offee, the..._attachment_"

Not sure what else to do Barriss offered her hand "a pleasure Tyzen"

Tyzen reluctantly shook her hand, his thoughts betraying the smile he tried to force "Ahsoka no offense but how could you do this?"

Ahsoka seemed to take no offense by the boys words "love Tyzen, there's not much else I can say"

"I never would have expected this from you Ahsoka" Tyzen took a quick look, probably checking to see if his master was around "Ahsoka when master Ropal was killed you were the only one who cared enough to try and comfort me, I cannot support what you two are doing, but I will not speak against you either"

Ahsoka nodded "I would never ask you to go against your beliefs Tyzen, thank you for being so honest

with me" Tyzen bowed again before joining the group on the bench at the side of the hallway.

Hoping that was all the people master Yoda had gathered Barriss took a quick look around the halls corner, her heart sinking as she quickly pulled back around "uh Ahsoka, I'm starting to think just about _everybody_ knew about us"

"why?" before Ahsoka's words could be answered Anakin rounded the corner, his face unreadable as he walked directly past his padawans and into the councils chamber, quickly closing the door behind him "you think he's still mad?"

"he was never really mad, just worried" wondering why Barriss' voice had suddenly gone up a few octaves Ahsoka turned, her entire body freezing as she looked into the caring eyes of senator Amidala.

Sensing the fear inside her friend Barriss walked beside Ahsoka and grasped her hand "senator Amidala, you uh...you knew?"

With a compassionate nod Padme' turned her attention to Ahsoka "Ahsoka I'm sure there's nothing I can say to offer any comfort in this situation, but I do need you to know something"

Ahsoka forced herself meet the senators eyes "what is it?"

"I agreed to be here today for the _sole_ purpose of helping you, I stand by your decision to live your life the way you chose" before either girl could speak up Padme' embraced them both in a deep hug, wrapping one arm around both Barriss and Ahsoka. Barriss completely froze from the sudden contact, not only did the senators actions completely contradict with the cold personality she expected from a politician but having the girls body so close, a strange presence in the force ripped the wind from her lungs.

Padme' pulled back from the hug and gave each one last bright smile before walking past them and disappearing behind the chamber doors, Barriss turned towards her friend with a dry throat "when she hugged us, did you..."

"sense more than one being" Ahsoka nodded "I don't think she knows yet, better to keep this to ourselves for now"

"I agree, we have enough problems to deal with right now, no sense adding any more awkward conversations than necessary" lightly squeezing her friends hand Barriss turned towards the chamber doors "do you have any idea what you're gonna say?"

Ahsoka took a few deep breaths before shaking her head "no idea, you?"

"the same, way I see it we have almost no chance of convincing the council to change their mind"

Ahsoka tried to keep the fear from her voice "so, this is the end, one way or another"

Barriss felt a few loose beads of sweat drip from her forehead, wiping the fear from her face she turned her gaze to Ahsoka "come what may, I'll stand by your decision"

Both girls held back a nervous jump as Anakin waved open the door in front of them and stepped into the hall, his face portraying a look of both compassion and anger "it's time".

* * *

><p>Never before had Barriss seen the council chamber so full, masters Yoda, Obi-Wan, Luminara, Plo Koon, Kit Fisto, Windu, and Ki-Adi-Mundi sat at their respective seats. James, O-Mer and Jinx were the last three to enter, all choosing to lean on the wall next to the door. Tyzen Xebec walked to the left side of the large room, clasping his hands behind his back as he moved to stand beside master Keelyvine Reus. Beside them stood Anakin and Padme', each giving off the same look of concern for the situation to come. A short beep brought Barriss' attention to the right side of the room, artoo seemed a bit out of place in the room full of Jedi but seeing the small astromech seemed to relax Ahsoka's stance so she wasn't about to raise questions.<p>

Beside artoo, leaning with his back against the back wall stood Marikane Cananvi, the general stood with his hood pulled from his head as he talked to the man beside him in a polite whisper. Straining her mind Barriss quickly realized this last man was the one person in the room she couldn't recognize, looking to be in his late twenties the mans short white hair and rough beard did no justice in hiding the obvious look of battle weariness painted on every inch of his face. The mans clothes gave him away as a Jedi, light brown pants with a dark brown flap coming down the middle led up to a dark brown Jedi robe covered in metallic armor that had obviously been cleaned of blaster marks on more than occasion, and just visible over his right shoulder was the bottom of a lightsabers hilt, the weapon being held in place by a strap that spanned the mans back _'uh Ahsoka, who is that guy?'_

Ahsoka followed her gaze and studied the strange Jedi for a moment _'never met him before, but it he's here he must be a master, think he'll side with us?'_

_'maybe, I suppose anything is possible' _

All master Yoda had to do to gain the rooms attention was clear his throat, once the room fell to a deathly silence the Jedi grandmaster began to speak, his normally tame voice reverberating all around the large room "with all of us may the force be, and may the peace of this temple be ours, a place open to thought and speech, a realm of mutual respect, and a haven of shared noble purpose. Let us take these seats together, with no one above the others. May we work together, free from the restraints of ego and jealousy, at this gathering and all others to come".

Taking time to let his words resonate with all present master Yoda gave a silent nod to Obi-Wan, the Jedi master stood to his feet and cleared his throat before speaking "most of you know why you have been called here today, but for those unaware of the situation this meeting is to discuss, rationally and with respect, the attachment between padawans Ahsoka Tano and Barriss Offee, in the hopes that a reasonable solution can be found"

As Obi-Wan took his seat Luminara raised from hers "Barriss, Ahsoka, if you would kindly step aside we will begin, each person present will have a chance to voice their opinion if they so desire" with a short bow Barriss and Ahsoka moved to the back of the room, taking a spot beside artoo as Luminara switched her gaze to the rest of the chamber "who would like to speak first?"

Pulling his jacket around his body James pushed his back from the wall and walked into the middle of the large room "alright, guess I'll start things off" Luminara nodded as she sat back down. Once the chamber once again fell to silence James started "I first met Ahsoka and Barriss under...strange circumstances, soon after realizing their role as padawans in the Jedi order Barriss put aside her own emotions and invited me to the temple should I ever need help. Over the past few weeks I've come to think as both as family, they helped me when I needed it the most, and they did so without ever once igniting their lightsabers. Working here I've met just about every knight, master, and padawan there is, never before have I met two girls who so perfectly represent what I was raised to believe a Jedi stands for"

Master Yoda nodded politely "know about their attachment for some time, you have?"

"yes Grandmaster"

"and a plan to help them, you had did you not?"

James swallowed a lump in his throat "yes, I had planned to...trick the council into thinking Ahsoka's attachment was to me. Afterward I would cause a scene, of course Ahsoka would blow me off, and you would be left thinking the problem was dealt with. But before you pass judgment I have to say the plan was completely my idea, Barriss and Ahsoka had no idea it was going on"

Ki-Adi-Mundi rubbed his beard thoughtfully "you do an impressive job of hiding your true thoughts my boy, but do not try and lie this day, that is not the way to help your friends"

James sighed "fine, they knew about the plan, but with all due respect you gave them no choice but to try and fool you. You say just because they can't live without each other they're somehow _beneath_ you, well everything about them leads me to see the contrary, you're beneath them" clenching his fist James took a deep breath and moved back to his spot at the wall by the door.

Obi-Wan once again rose from his seat "who's next?"

Giving each other a shared nod both O-Mer and Jinx moved to the middle of the room, without a word shared between them O-Mer began "by now our experiences with the pack of Trandoshan slavers are well known throughout the temple, as all of you know were it not for Ahsoka both me and Jinx would not be here to defend her today"

With a short nod Jinx took over "Ahsoka is in every way our superior, she's stronger than us, wiser than us, and a natural leader. I look forward to the day I can look up to her as the Jedi master she's destined to become"

O-Mer put a hand on the twi-leks shoulder, silently telling his friend he would continue "if Ahsoka has decided to act on this attachment, there's no doubt in my mind that it was the right thing to do" both Jedi offered a short bow to the council before stepping out of the center and moving back to their spot.

"I have something to say, if I may?" Padme's voice forced all heads to turn, when no one objected she gracefully moved into the middle of the room "there is one thing that seems to be a constant when speaking to all Jedi, and that is the idea that emotions, all emotions, must be pushed away in order to achieve peace. But over the years I've personally seen many instances where Jedi doing just the opposite has solved many problems and changed the galaxy in amazing ways"

Obi-Wan nodded as he took his seat "please senator, continue"

"master Kenobi, when we first met Anakin on Tatooine, didn't his compassion to help those in trouble make it possible for us to leave the planet?. And when master Qui-Gon Jinn was killed by Darth Maul, didn't your anger of his death give you the strength necessary to defeat the sith?. And if not for Qui-Gon's stubbornness and arrogance in his own beliefs Anakin would not be the Jedi knight he is today and I, along with a lot of you here, would not be here to debate this. If Ahsoka and Barriss can keep their relationship from interfering with their roles as peacekeepers, why not let them?".

As Padme' made her way to Anakin master Yoda spoke up from his seat "time it is, to give the padawans a chance to speak. Padawan Tano, padawan Offee, please come forward"

Barriss felt her legs turn to rubber the second her name was mentioned, wanting nothing more than to simply run from the room and never look back she felt a chill go through her body as Ahsoka grabbed her hand and began to pull her forward _'it'll be fine, trust me'_.

Moving in front of the council Ahsoka was first to speak, doing her best to keep eye contact with master Yoda as she did so "let me start by saying I understand why me and Barriss are being forced to defend ourselves, the Jedi code has been the way it is ever since our ancestors first rose their swords to protect the galaxy. As the leaders of the Jedi order you feel what we're doing is wrong, but masters, nothing I've _ever_ done has felt more right. True it's a Jedi's responsibility to put their emotions to the back of their mind for the good of the galaxy, but why does that have to mean we can't live our lives like every other sentient being alive?. And to say me and Barriss _choice_ to act on this attachment is not just an insult to us but to everything I've experienced in the past few weeks, given..."

Barriss spoke up, continuing her friends sentence perfectly "the choice masters, we would drop this relationship in a second and go our separate ways, like so many Jedi before us but..."

"to ask us to fight true love is something we simply cannot do, so I'm afraid either the Jedi code changes today, or..."

"the Jedi order loses two of it's padawan learners"

* * *

><p>A short silence followed Marikane stepping forward from his spot at the side of the room, his calm voice asking the question floating around the chamber "how long have you two been finishing each others sentences?"<p>

Barriss took a few seconds to comprehend the strange question, sharing a confused look with Ahsoka before both girls shook their heads "maybe a couple days, why?

Moving inside the middle of the room Marikane pulled his darksaber from his waist and ignited the black bladed weapon, using the tip of the blade to slash a small cut in the palm of his hand he deactivated the darksaber and strapped it back to his waist. Before anyone in the room could raise a question as to his actions the general promptly stretched his bloodied hand out in front of Ahsoka "try and heal this young one"

Ahsoka stared at the hand with wide eyes "what?, no _Barriss_ is the one with that ability, not me"

Master Yoda nodded from his seat "just try padawan Tano"

"yes master" wincing a bit Ahsoka wrapped the bloodied hand between her own and closed her eyes, for a few uncomfortable moments there was nothing but silence as the young Togruta concentrated. Soon enough a small blue energy circled through the enclosed hands, Barriss heard herself gasp loudly as her friend pulled her hands away to reveal the cut on Marikane completely gone. Opening her eyes Ahsoka immediately took a few steps back in shock "but, you have to be born with that power!, I've never had if before!".

Marikane turned to the council "their force meld has been allowed to go on for too long, it _must_ be broken before they lose control"

"master, if I may, I think I have a theory as to this attachment" the soft yet stern voice of Tyzen Xebec turned all heads in the room "perhaps when this force meld was formed Barriss and Ahsoka misinterpreted the closeness of mind it brings with an attachment, if that was indeed the case breaking the meld would solve this _problem_"

O-Mer shook his head from across the room "that's nonsense, there has never been a record of a force meld having that effect, and I think both Barriss and Ahsoka are old enough to properly interpret their own emotions"

Yoda jumped down from his seat and made his way to the middle of the room, gesturing for Marikane to return to his spot at the side of the room "either way right Cananvi is, broken this force meld must be"

Barriss took a few steps backwards "whoa wait a minute, if the meld was let to go on this long wouldn't stopping it have repercussions?"

Yoda stepped forward and stretched a hand out to each girl "no more so than if it was allowed to continue, it is for your own well being young one". After watching Ahsoka reluctantly give her hand to the Jedi master Barriss did the same, the world went black so quickly Barriss thought she had simply blinked. In the darkness she felt a deep presence surge through every inch of her body as she fell to her knees.

* * *

><p>Barriss awoke with Ahsoka knelt worriedly beside her, running a slightly trembling hand through her hair "Barriss!, are you okay?"<p>

"how...could I not be?" returning her friends smile Barriss winced a bit as Ahsoka helped her to her feet, master Yoda stood close by and closed his eyes once both girls gave a silent nod to show they were okay. After a few moments of silence Barriss couldn't hide her anticipation "so, is the meld broken master?"

Yoda slowly nodded "gone the force meld is, but strong feelings of attachment I still sense from both of you"

Ahsoka took Barriss' hand as they turned to the council "what did you expect masters?, that breaking the meld would just make these feelings disappear?"

All stood in silence till master Yoda reclaimed his seat, with quite a strong voice for someone so advanced in years the Grandmaster addressed the entire room "before the council makes it decision, know something I've kept to myself for sometime you all must. Known about this attachment from the beginning, I have, and allowed it to go on undisturbed, I did"

Barriss looked to Ahsoka to make sure she had heard correctly "you went against the code master?"

Yoda nodded "for sometime now, seeds of the dark side I have sensed inside young Tano. Not until Skywalker took Barriss under his tutelage did those seeds dissipate, rethink we must, _all_ that we know about the Jedi code"

Plo Koon kept his hands clasped on his lap as he spoke up "you believe this attachment helped Ahsoka resist the dark sides influence?"

"over the course of the attachment, yes" after a short silence master Yoda continued "heard all we need to the council has, time for a decision to be made, it is. Each master will choose to either allow Ahsoka and Barriss to continue their relationship along with their training, or banish them from the order"

All heads in the room switched to master Windu, the seasoned warrior rose from his seat and bowed "Ahsoka Tano and Barriss Offee have both showed great promise as future Jedi knights, but if we allow this attachment to go on it will be putting not only both girls at risk, but any who serve alongside them. My vote, is for banishment".

Master Yoda nodded solemnly as he watched his fellow Jedi take his seat "been a Jedi master for _many_ years I have, never in my lifetime have I sensed a connection so strong, and so pure. My vote, is for reinstatement"

Plo Koon rose from his seat with his eyes meeting those of Ahsoka's "as many of you know I am the one who brought little Soka to the temple all those years ago, I have watched her grow up with great pride, she has proven herself a capable Jedi in every sense of the word. If these girls believe this attachment will not get in the way of their role as peacekeepers, who am I to say they're wrong?. My vote, is for reinstatement"

As Plo Koon sat back down Luminara rose from her seat, locking eyes with Barriss before she began "Barriss, I trained you to the best of my abilities. I had hoped that in doing so you would learn just what it means to be a Jedi, unfortunately, I failed" Barriss felt her heart drop as her former master continued "for you to go against my teachings and give into your emotions so recklessly and without a thought as to the consequences of your actions, it finally shows me just how much I failed in training you. My vote, is for banishment".

Wiping a lone tear from her eye Luminara sat back down, after a short silence Kit Fisto stood up beside her. The masters trademark grin spanning his face as he filled the room with his voice "I can understand both points made here today by so many who care about the continuation of this order, but like master Yoda I have also sensed the dark side within Ahsoka. If padawan Offee was able to help her through something that every Jedi struggles with the better part of their lives, then I see no problem in allowing this relationship to continue. My vote, is for reinstatement"

Following the chain of seats Ki-Adi-Mundi stood to his full height "it pains me to go against my former master, but I have seen far too many of my fellow Jedi fall to the dark side because of the loss of those they love. I've gone through that pain before, and I cannot willingly allow two so young to go through what I did. My vote, is for banishment"

The last of the council members present master Obi-Wan rose from his seat "like master Mundi I too have seem many Jedi fall to the dark side, even master Jinn was brought to his knees when someone he cared for was killed. I have...cared for others in the past, the pain of losing those you care about can cripple even the strongest and bravest Jedi. It is with great sorrow that I cast my vote, for banishment".


	18. Master To A Starkiller

_Banishment!, after assembling all who knew about the attachment between padawans Ahsoka Tano and Barriss Offee the Jedi council gives each a chance to speak before reaching their conclusion. But unbeknownst to either girl a hidden ally waits for his moment to present itself, ready to set into motion a plan to give them one last chance at the lives they hold dear. One way or another, our audacious heroines lives are about to change like never before._

** Chapter 18: Master To A Starkiller**

Barriss felt her legs buckle as Obi-Wan took his seat, only regaining her composure enough to take a disbelieving look around the room "so...that's it?. After giving my entire life to the Jedi order this is it?, we're on our own?".

"No!" moving into the middle of the chamber Anakin pushed past his padawans and raised a fist towards the council, mainly keeping his gaze towards Obi-Wan as he spoke "I've stood idly by in the hopes that for _once_ the council would make the right decision, unfortunately that didn't happen. I've served this order for the better part of my life, I think I deserve a say in this situation". Stepping back Anakin put a hand of both his padawans shoulders as he waited for an answer.

A short silence followed Obi-Wan nodding from his seat "Anakin's right, these are his padawans after all, it would not be the Jedi way to make this decision without letting him speak his mind" after a nod from each council member master Kenobi gestured to his former apprentice "Anakin you will be given a vote same as every council member here, will it be for reinstatement or banishment?".

Anakin strengthened his grip on each girls shoulder, turning his head and meeting with the reassuring eyes of senator Amidala before speaking "masters, over the time spent knowing about this attachment I've watched both Ahsoka and Barriss with a close eye. Taking their personalities into account you have to realize that banishing these two will _not_ split them apart, if anything the resentment they would most likely hold would push them closer together. I'm still not sure if this relationship is a good idea, but I think the smart thing to do is keep both girls close by so we can keep an eye on it and help them with whatever trouble they run into. So masters, my vote, is for reinstatement".

Ahsoka met the eyes of her master and mouthed a silent_ 'thank you'_ before turning to the council "that's five for reinstatement, five for banishment, so what happens now?".

"I may have a suggestion, one that would give both sides what they want" stepping forward into the middle of the room the same Jedi Barriss had tried to place earlier now stood beside her, offering a light bow to the council and to Anakin.

Master Yoda nodded towards the Jedi "master Kota, please continue"

Kota bowed once more, the shine from his armor sending a ray of sunlight across the room "half of you believe having two Jedi who share an attachment in the front lines will put not only them, but those who serve with them in danger. The other half believe both Barriss and Ahsoka are capable of having their relationship while keeping their role as Jedi separate. What I have is a way for both sides to feel comfortable without further dramatizing these young girls" turning his gaze midway between the council and Anakin master Kota continued. "My troops are recently stationed in the Mytaranor sector, we have reason to believe the bounty hunter Cad Bane is targeting members of the Kashyyyk royal families. I'm willing to put these girls in charge of the entire investigation, I'll gladly serve under them while they attempt to find a solution to the problem".

Obi-Wan looked the general over cautiously "and why should we allow this?"

Kota smiled "with these padawans in charge of every aspect of the mission its success or failure depends _entirely_ on their ability to keep their attachment from interfering with their roles as Jedi. If they complete this mission the way any true Jedi would, with the permission of their master, I will move they be allowed to face the trials. Should both girls pass the trials and earn their knighthood they will then be allowed to stay at the temple and continue their lives as regular Jedi".

Barriss felt her heartbeat increase ten fold, would it not have probably ruined the opportunity he was giving them she would of rushed forward and hugged this _'master Kota'_ with all her strength. Choosing instead to keep her hands to herself she turned towards the council, trying her best to keep her face unreadable as the masters whispered amongst themselves. After a few unbearable minutes of intense silence master Yoda spoke up from his seat "accept your proposition, the council does. But if padawans Tano and Offee fail to keep their attachment from interfering with the mission, banished, they must be".

Kota offered a respectful nod to the council "thank you masters but with all due respect you're not the only ones I was asking" with a hint of a smirk Kota turned his attention to Anakin "Skywalker, what say you?".

Anakin took a moment to rub his eyes before turning and facing master Kota "can you promise me nothing will happen to them?, that they will complete this mission?".

Kota stretched out his hand "that's up to them as much as me Skywalker, but I can promise you this, I will try".

All heads in the room focused on Anakin as he gave one last look down at Ahsoka, with a silent conversation taking place through their combined stares he took a step forward and shook Kota's hand "take good care of them".

* * *

><p><em><strong>The Jedi Temple, exterior docking bay<strong>_

By the time all was settled the sun in Corusants sky had been replaced by a sea of stars brighter than Barriss had ever seen them before, looking upwards she couldn't help but be reminded of the night she and Ahsoka had shared on the Senates roof. That night had been the best _and_ worst she'd ever experienced, letting her feelings show was never easy even before the attachment and to abandon all she had been trained, even for someone as special as Ahsoka, was easily the hardest thing she'd ever done.

After everything they had been through, every last adventure doing all they could to keep peace across the galaxy, the council had turned their back on them. But what made it worse had to be the utter betrayal of her former master, master Unduli had always told her when she needed help all she had to do was ask "how could she say that Ahsoka?, am I really a..._failure_?".

Her own words snapped her back into the present, setting alongside Ahsoka on the bench looking out towards the docking bay Barriss flinched a bit as a orange hand met her own. Ahsoka kept her eyes on the ground "of course not, Barriss...I...I don't how the council could just abandon us like they did but for some reason master Kota wants to help us. Maybe, in time, we can change the councils mind about attachment".

Barriss brought her head up and looked in front of them, the T-6 waiting to take them away sat silently a few feet away "I can't seem to shake the feeling this is the last time I'll set foot in the temple".

Ahsoka raised her free hand to Barriss' cheek, gently turning the girls face to meet her gaze "we _will_ be back, trust me" without a thought as to their location Ahsoka wiped the bangs from Barriss' eyes and lightly kissed her forehead "on the bright side we don't have to hide our feelings anymore, we can finally be ourselves".

Despite the grief still resonating inside her Barriss felt a smile tug at her lips "I guess you're right, besides, if master Kota agreed to this he _must_ believe we can change the council's minds right?".

Ahsoka gave her friend a reassuring smile "I'm sure of it"

"ah hem" turning towards the strange noise Barriss raised an eyebrow as padawan Tyzen slowly approached the docking bay, his hood pulled over his face as he kept his eyes aimed at the ground "may I...um...say something?". Moving to the front of the bench Tyzen bowed respectfully as both girls slowly nodded "about what I said before the meeting, if you two were willing to face banishment just to stay together...I guess I still have a lot to learn about what it _truly_ means to be a Jedi. What I'm trying to say is, I'm sorry I didn't come to your aid when you needed me".

Ahsoka nodded "I don't think we had a chance to begin with Tyzen, but thank you" with a silent nod Tyzen started back into the temple, quickly disappearing into the darkness of the first hallway.

When she was sure they were alone Barriss stood from the bench and walked to the edge of the docking bay, knowing full well Ahsoka would follow she spoke up "I can't make you do this Ahsoka, I won't be the reason you lose your training".

Ahsoka let out a soft laugh as she stepped beside her "oh Barriss, you still don't get it do you?" reaching forward Ahsoka tapped lightly on her head. "How many times do I have to say I love you before it gets through?, you're not _making_ me do anything". Barriss jumped as a pair of hands gripped her waist "if this means we stay together, I'm all for it".

Barriss let herself be turned in the comforting hold of her friends arms, meeting Ahsoka face to face as her smile widened. A familiar chill enveloping every inch of her body as she wrapped her own arms around Ahsoka's waist and leaned in long enough to quickly kiss the lips beckoning for her. Sensing two powerful Jedi approaching the girls pulled apart and stood still, silently looking out towards Corusants neon lit landscape as the presence slowly walked up behind them.

Both turning with a soft smile Barriss and Ahsoka bowed to master Kota, the General returned their gesture before turning towards the T-6 "I'll give you three a minute".

Anakin nodded in Kota's direction as he looked at both his padawans "for what it's worth...I'm sorry, I should of spoke up sooner than I did".

Ahsoka rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Anakin's chest, embracing the Jedi knight in a short hug before quickly pulling back. After a slight awkward pause Anakin finally smiled "prove them wrong Snips, oh and here" pulling a pair of lightsabers from his waist Anakin handed the weapons to his padawan "you'll probably need these, give Bane one for me huh?". Ahsoka gave her master one last smile before heading off towards the T-6. Leaving Anakin to turn his attention towards Barriss "Barriss I want to apologize for the way I acted yesterday".

Barriss shook her head "no need master, you care deeply about Ahsoka's well being. I just wish my former master was as protective" .

Sensing the girls turmoil Anakin rested a hand on Barriss' shoulder "the council may be made up of some of the smartest minds this galaxy has to offer but they can still make mistakes, just trust in the force and you _will_ get through this".

Barriss nodded halfheartedly "of course master" shrugging the hand off her shoulder Barriss made her way towards the T-6.

"Raven" Anakin's strong willed voice forced her to turn, raising an eyebrow to question her master. Anakin pulled her paired sabers off his waist and floated them across the docking bay "may the force be with you".

Grabbing the sabers Barriss looked towards her master, feeling a smile slowly spread across her face "and with you master".

* * *

><p>Barriss walked into the T-6's cockpit, giving Ahsoka a friendly smile as she sat down in the seat opposite her. Without a word shared between them Kota piloted the ship as it lifted off the temples docking bay and into Corusant's night sky, in a matter of seconds the complete darkness of space filled the ships view port. Kota let the ship steady itself before pulling back on a large switch, a quick lurch forward and the ship began it's trip at the speed of light.<p>

Giving the ships systems one last check Kota swung his chair around as the blaze of stars outside painted the inside of the ship with a faint blue hue "about time we were properly introduced don't you think?".

First to take the hint Barriss shook the masters hand "padawan Barriss Offee, at your service master"

"a pleasure miss Offee" turning towards Ahsoka Kota offered his hand "and you young one?".

Ahsoka shook the hand in front of her with a smile "the names Ahsoka Tano"

"good to know" raising from his seat long enough to take a short bow Kota gave both girls a small nod "General Rahm Kota, I'll be serving under you for the duration of this mission. If ever you need something done, all you have to do is give the order".

Barriss gave Kota a respectful nod "master I don't want you to think we're not grateful for the opportunity you're giving us but...why did you step up during the meeting?".

Kota turned his chair back around and hit a few buttons on the ships controls "this war is killing the Jedi, both literally and figuratively. If the order has any chance of surviving things have to start changing _now_, evolve or die so they say".

Ahsoka leaned forward in her chair "you believe the Jedi have chosen the wrong side in the clone wars?".

Kota shook his head "not at all, let me try this a different way. So many times in the past few years the Jedi have either let their beliefs slide or forgotten them entirely for this war, just the fact that Skywalker was allowed to take both you as his padawan learners is a direct violation of the code. Make no mistake you two, one way or another, this war _will_ spell our end".

Satisfied with the many readings in front of him master Kota turned back to face both girls as Barriss crossed her arms against her chest "well that says a lot master but you failed to answer my question, why help _us_?"

Kota let a sly grin cross his face "I like you young one, very direct, the Jedi order needs more who aren't afraid to speak their mind. To answer your question miss Offee I believe in what you're trying to do, the Jedi's rules on love contradict all our other teachings. If I can help bring the order closer to where they should be, I'll do all I can to help".

At the last of the masters words the T-6 lurched itself out of hyperspace, staring out the view port Barriss ran her eyes over the sight in front of her. A Jedi flagship sat almost lazily in front of them, drifting alone in the vastness of space with only distant stars in every conceivable direction. Seeing he had lost the attention of both girls master Kota gestured to his ship in the view port "Ahsoka, Barriss, my flagship. The Eclipse".

* * *

><p>Being made from the same company it was no surprise to Barriss that the docking bay of the Eclipse perfectly resembled that of the Resolute, but stepping off the T-6's metal ramp something instantly caught her eye. Much like the Resolute the docking bay was filled with groups of people running around, either working on all types of various ships or cleaning assorted weaponry. But it was clear that these men were not clones, although each man shared the same dark blue armor mixed with several metal coverings on the chest and legs they shared no resemblance to each other, with a variable mix of skin color and build. "These men aren't clones?" Barriss raised an eyebrow at the sight in front of her, feeling the presence of master Kota quickly approach behind her as a few men stopped to greet him.<p>

Kota waited till each soldier offered a salute before speaking "tell every high ranking officer on board this ship to meet on the bridge asap" the soldiers saluted once more before walking away. Ahsoka was last to exit the ship, giving a weird look around the docking bay as she squinted her eyes in confusion. Before the question could even escape her lips Kota rose a hand for her to stop "I'll make a long story short, instead of clones I train my own private militia. These men are every bit as strong and faithful as you believe the clones to be, they'll follow your every order without hesitation".

Ahsoka lightly rubbed her back Lekku, obviously still confused but something in Kota's tone stopped her from pressing the matter "alright then, so what now?".

Kota turned away from the girls as he started down the docking bay, waving a hand for both to follow him "now we inform the men of who's in charge, the rest will be up to you". Barriss took a few quick strides along the metal floor to catch up, trying her best not to stare as Kota's militia worked around her _'having your own army seems a strange move for a Jedi, I'm not sure about this guy Ahsoka'_. Looking to Kota's other side Barriss glanced in her friends direction as Ahsoka kept her gaze straight ahead, _'right, the meld is broken. Guess I'm just talking to myself now'_.

With a wave of his hand Kota led the way inside the elevator, waiting until the closing doors left them completely enclosed in darkness before speaking. "One more thing, my men _are_ trained, and most know how to pay respect to those who deserve it. But thanks to the war I've had to open up my options for recruits, without going into specifics I think there's something you two should understand. Many of my men...well it's been a while since I've been able to grant a shore leave, and I have only a few female soldiers. Should they give you any trouble just let me know".

Ahsoka rolled her eyes "this mission just keeps getting better and better, just so you know I'm breaking any arm that comes too close".

Kota held back a dry laugh "you have your masters fiery spirit, just do me a favor and save it for the battlefield. Like I said most of my men are very respectful, chances are good you won't have any problems, but you can never be too careful".

Barriss squinted her eyes as the elevator doors opened to reveal the brightly lit bridge, once again this part of the ship resembled the Resolute in every way. Following master Kota both girls walked out of the elevator and onto the bridge, offering a few polite smiles from the militia that worked at it's various terminals and stations. Once they reached the bridges front view port Barriss turned her attention to the many stars outside "I want to thank you again master Kota, if it weren't for you we would no doubt be fending for ourselves right now".

Ahsoka nodded solemnly "I'm not sure I'd know how to handle life outside the Jedi order, we owe you everything master".

Kota kept his gaze looking out the view port ahead of him "if this war continues much longer, life outside the order may be a problem _all_ Jedi share".

* * *

><p>Before long both turned along with master Kota at the presence of several men entering the bridge, four men dressed in the same dark blue officers uniform saluted to Kota. After motioning for each man to stand at ease master Kota put a hand on both Barriss and Ahsoka's shoulder "men I'd like you to meet padawan learners Barriss Offee and Ahsoka Tano, as of now these girls are taking over complete control of the ship. Any orders they give will be followed out without question and any information you would normally give to me will be reported to them, any questions?".<p>

The first three men simply shook their heads before turning and exiting the bridge, looking over the remaining officer Barriss bowed respectfully "a question captain...".

"Ace ma'am, actually I was just going to ask if you have any orders?".

Barriss took a moment to think "I suppose we should start by gathering all the information, we'll need a mission report". Captain Ace saluted before turning and gesturing to a soldier standing at a nearby terminal, a silent conversation between the two ended when the soldier grabbed a data-pad from his station and walked over to the view port.

Handing the data-pad directly to Barriss the soldier offered a salute before returning to his station. Barriss took a few steps closer to Ahsoka as the two quickly looked over the information, after a minute of silence Ahsoka shook her head "this says there's been reports of attempted assassinations on members of Kashyyyk's royal families but...master are you sure Cad Bane is the source of these attempts?".

Kota nodded "if our spies Intel is trustworthy, why?"

Ahsoka skimmed her finger along the data-pad "these attempts were all made from long range, it's not like Bane to use a rifle, he prefers to be up close for his kills. And just the fact that these attempts failed leave me to believe Bane isn't the one behind them".

Captain Ace clasped his hands behind his back "interesting ma'am, may I ask why?"

"Bane is never one to fail at something as simple as an assassination, not to mention the whole thing seems two low profile for him. When Bane took the senate building he practically walked in through the front door, I think we're dealing with someone else".

Barriss nodded as she handed the data-pad to Ace "I agree, but the question is who?. Do we have any idea who hired the bounty hunter?".

Ace shook his head "afraid not ma'am, we tried contacting the Hutts but as usual they have no comment".

"I don't think the Hutts are behind this" Kota stated "Kashyyyk has always been an area of interest for the separatists, most likely they hired the bounty hunter to scare the royal families into thinking they need protection the Republic army cannot provide".

Barriss nodded in agreement "that seems possible, having hold of the space around Kashyyyk would allow the separatists to intercept many of our trade routes. It's the very same reason the Republic wants to maintain a presence on the planet, control of Kashyyyk could tip the balance of the war".

Ahsoka took a quick look out the view port before shooting master Kota a confused look "if you knew all this already why isn't this ship stationed closer to Kashyyyk?".

"Kashyyyk hasn't been with the Republic for that long" Kota answered "and to be frank I'm not master Yoda, the wookiee's can be rather cautious with Jedi they've never met".

Ahsoka gave Barriss a short nod before waving a hand for all to follow them down the bridge, stopping at the holo-projector at the base of the bridge Ahsoka hit the few buttons on the machine. Kota walked to the machines opposite end with a raised eyebrow aimed at the young Togruta "may I ask what you're doing?".

Ahsoka nodded as she continued to mess with the holo-projector "calling a friend, I might be able to get us some help in this investigation". The second her hands stopped moving a hologram sprung up from the projector, a rather large wookiee wearing nothing but a laser bandoleer offered an excited growl towards Ahsoka.

A wide smile spread across the young Togruta's lips "it's been too long Chewbacca, it's great to see you two". As the two continued to talk Barriss felt her heart leap at a sudden realization, quickly wiping the look from her face she stood in silence as Ahsoka nodded to Chewbacca's hologrammed form. "That's exactly why I contacted you, we'll need whatever information you've collected to ensure the royal families are protected. I know you won't let me down Chewbacca, see you on the capital".

Chewbacca roared softly as a short bow cut his transmission, still smiling at the inactive machine Ahsoka let a bit of pride into her voice as she looked up at her friends "Chewy will get us permission to land at the capital, set a course for Kashyyyk". Captain Ace saluted before walking back up the bridge, in a matter of seconds a strong lurch rocked the Eclipse as it moved into position to enter hyperspace.

With the lurch Barriss her legs grow weak under her, putting a hand on the holo-projector to sturdy herself did nothing to stop her vision from blurring. The world around her slowly began to vanish from existence as she fought the urge to drop to the floor. Obviously sensing her discomfort master Kota moved closer and put a hand on her shoulder "what is it?".

"I don't know, I'm just...dizzy all of a sudden"

"cutting the force meld between you two was a foolhardy move, no doubt you'll both need some rest before we reach Kashyyyk. Let me handle things for now".

Ahsoka moved forward and lifted Barriss' arm around her head, hiding the anxiety from her face as she started to guide her friend off the bridge "thank you master".

* * *

><p>Being careful with every step Ahsoka opened the door leading to their sleeping quarters all the while making sure Barriss didn't lose her footing. Moving to the small bed encased in the left wall she gently laid her friends body down, Barriss let out a small sigh as she shifted in the small bed "thanks Ahsoka, I don't know what I'd do without you".<p>

Ahsoka simply smiled as she made sure her friend was okay "just relax" setting on the edge of the bed she put a comforting hand on Barriss' forehead "well you're not hot".

Barriss forced a weak smile "you're nice"

"you know what I meant, now quit trying to be funny, it goes against your character" . Leaning down to gently kiss her friends cheek Ahsoka couldn't help but smile "so be honest, how many times have you tried to talk to me through the meld since it was broken?".

"only once, guess it's gonna take some...ugh...getting used to" Barriss put a hand to her head, her voice getting weaker with every word "make sure you wake me when...when we reach...".

Ahsoka let out a dry laugh as her friends chest began to rise and fall slowly, staring at Barriss' sleeping form she was instantly reminded of just how much they'd been through today. Using the moment to herself to take a look around their quarters she spotted another bed encased in the opposite wall, complete with its own pillow and thin red blanket. On the wall opposite the door a large window told her the Eclipse had finally entered hyperspace, with a wave of her hand towards the door the lights went black, leaving only the blue ring of hyperspace to light the small room as she switched her gaze back to Barriss. _'I know you need your rest, but I can't sleep without you'_ letting out a long held yawn Ahsoka squeezed into the small bed best she could, using her enhanced eyesight to keep a watchful eye on her friends form through the darkness as her own eyelids quickly got heavier.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Five hours later<strong>_

Barriss awoke to the familiar feel of a warm hand against her forehead, choosing to keep her eyes closed she let a smile spread across her face "my head is spinning, kind of reminds me of our first date".

"expecting someone else commander Offee?"

Kota's strong voice force Barriss to her feet in seconds, turning her face as it turned a much darker shade of green "master Kota!, I'm _so_ sorry if I knew it was you I _never_ would of...".

"Relax commander, Ahsoka is waiting for you at the loading bay" .

Pulling her hood over her head Barriss started for the door "well far be if for me to keep her waiting". Walking alongside master Kota Barriss led the way through the many busy hallways of the Eclipse, stepping to the side more than a few times to allow a group of militia past. As they made their way down one of the many metal hallways Barriss finally let her curiosity get the better of her "master if you don't mind me saying it seems strange for a Jedi to command his own private militia, why not just work with the clones?".

Master Kota let out a deep sigh "I had hoped to avoid this conversation, Barriss you've no doubt seen many battles in your life correct?".

"unfortunately master, you're correct"

"then you know what it means to know exactly what to do at any moment, how to move from cover to cover, how to catch a break in enemy fire moments before it starts".

Barriss nodded "yes master but the clones can do all those things as well"

"battle sense isn't something that can bred into you commander, it's a skill gained over time".

"yes but..."

Kota raised a hand to cut her off "let me save you some time commander, my views regarding the clones will _not_ change. I'm afraid in this instance we'll have to agree to disagree".

Barriss stopped at a large metal door, opening it with a wave of her hand she led the way into the loading bay "very well master". The loading bay was flooded with activity, entire platoons of militia marched in every direction, either climbing inside the many parked AT-TE's or simply running out towards the giant open loading ramp. As Barriss made her way through the crowded area several of the AT-TE's sprang to life around her, filling the loading bay with a series of loud clanks as they began their slow trip towards the ramp. Finally spotting Ahsoka talking to a militia soldier at the very end of the loading bay Barriss ran up to her friend with master Kota close behind. Meeting up with Ahsoka the two shared a small nod before Barriss spoke up, being forced to scream over the clanging machinery on the move behind her "do you really think it's a good idea to move all these AT-TE's outside?, the wookiee's could get nervous!".

Ahsoka swiftly nodded "whoever this bounty hunter is they're not stupid!, seeing this much military presence around might force them to put whatever plan they have on hold!".

Barriss took a moment to consider her friends words "good thinking!, has your wookiee friend arrived yet?".

Before Ahsoka could answer master Kota waved towards the loading ramp "perhaps we should take this conversation outside?, ya know where we can actually talk!".

Waving the militia soldier away with one final order Ahsoka turned to the loading ramp and began to lead the way down, by the time they were halfway down the long metal ramp the loud clanging behind them filtered into a low rumble that traveled along their feet. Keeping her gaze towards the ramp at her feet Barriss ran to catch up with her friend "Ahsoka there's something I wanted to tell you last night".

Ahsoka smiled politely "you mean before you fainted?"

"yes, when you were talking to the wookiee on board the Eclipse, I could understand what he was saying".

"So?"

Stepping in front of her friend at the very end of the loading ramp Barriss put a hand on both Ahsoka's shoulders "_so_ this is my first mission on Kashyyyk, I was never taught how to comprehend the wookiee language".

Ahsoka's eyes widened "oh, well the force meld gave me your healing abilities. I guess you got my multilingualism, might as well test it out". Taking a few moments to think Ahsoka opened her mouth, the words that followed Barriss knew she had never heard before but somehow she knew that her friend has just said "you're stuck with me Skyguy". Waving a hand to regain her attention Ahsoka gave her a strange glance "so did you understand me?".

Barriss nodded "perfectly"

"well congrats you now speak Togruta, and the fact that you understood my last sentence means you know gungan as well. Kriffing lucky, it took me years to learn all those languages".

Walking past both girls master Kota gave a quick glance back "we best get started, there's a lot to do before we know what we're up against. That is if it's what you two want to do?".

Ahsoka nodded as she took Barriss' hand in her own "of course master, let's go".

* * *

><p><em><strong>Corusant, The Jedi Temple<strong>_

After Kota's T-6 shuttle finally disappeared in the night sky Anakin wasted no time in heading back inside the temple and and bearing straight for his former masters quarters, with nothing but his senses and a few rays of moonlight to guide him through the pitch black halls. As he neared the edge of the hall and opened the closest door with a wave of his hand he stepped inside, immediately turning to Obi-Wan's form as the Jedi master sat cross legged in the middle of the living room "how could you?".

Obi-Wan raised a hand to silence his former apprentice as he rose to his feet "before you once again overstep your bounds, may I at least have a moment to speak?". Obviously taken back by the question Anakin stood speechless, only offering a small nod for Obi-Wan to continue. "First I think you should know I stand by what I said at the meeting, as much as we hate to admit it both Barriss and Ahsoka have broken the code". Anakin opened his mouth to speak but was swiftly cut off "_but_, Anakin I've never wanted to be proven wrong more so than right now".

Anakin took a few steps back, doing his best to relax his stance as he did so "then why cast your vote for banishment?, between the two of us we could of tipped the scale towards reinstatement".

"Anakin do you honestly believe master Kota just happened to attend a meeting that directly interfered with his recent investigation?, _I_ was the one who asked him to be there". Putting a comforting hand on his friends shoulder Obi-Wan led Anakin to the couch and gestured for him to sit "let me explain, when master Yoda told me to round up all who knew about the attachment I knew your padawans would need all the support they could get. I tried my best to gather everyone that would speak in their favor, young Mr. Clever, padawans O-Mer, Jinx and the like".

"But still it wasn't enough" Anakin stated, his voice losing the dark inflection it had held most of the day.

Obi-Wan nodded "Exactly, it was during contacting Cananvi that I was reminded of master Kota's views towards attachment in the Jedi code. Cananvi's ship was refueling on board the Eclipse when I informed him of the meeting, between me and Kota we easily came to a simple conclusion. To truly move forward with master Yoda's intentions your padawans would need to prove that in the field their relationship can be put on hold".

Anakin leaned back into a couch, letting loose a long held moan "you knew from the beginning master Kota was going to step forward".

"Of course" Obi-Wan answered, taking a seat beside his former apprentice and meeting his eyes through the darkness "what I didn't anticipate was _you_ Anakin, to step forward and protect your padawans even after previously stating your anger towards their actions was perhaps the most selfless act I've ever witnessed from you. Master Qui-Gon would be proud, as am I".

"Thank you master, that means a lot, but do you really think your plan will work?".

Obi-Wan simply shrugged "we've done all we can, the rest is up to Barriss and Ahsoka. If they are meant to succeed, the force will see them through their mission".


	19. A Quest For Love

_Bounty hunter on Kashyyyk!, using his militia spies to gather intelligence on the wookiee home world Jedi Master Rahm Kota discovered multiple assassination attempts on members of Kashyyyk's royal families. After putting padawans Barriss Offee and Ahsoka Tano in charge of the investigation master Kota gives the love struck Jedi one final chance to prove themselves. Complete the mission and both earn their chance at the trials, fail the mission, both are banished from the Jedi order._

**Chapter 19: A Quest For Love**

_**Kashyyyk, capital city**_

Barriss had to fight her jaw from dropping as she stepped off the metal loading ramp and onto a large docking bay, the docking bay itself was pretty standard with the AT-TE's taking up almost all of the long metal walkway. But it was the sight beyond that stopped the padawan in her tracks. It was with a sudden unease at their height that she realized the entire bay they now stood on was compromised of only a single branch of a giant tree that sprang forth ahead of them. Looking upwards the tree easily spread several kilometers in the sky, blocking most of the sunlight from the area around her.

Before she could gasp at the sight in front of her Ahsoka apparently noticed the look on her face, with a slight smile the young Togruta used her grip on Barriss' hand to turn her towards the edge of the docking bay. The gasp finally escaping her Barriss looked over Kashyyyk's landscape, dozens of trees exactly like the one she stood on towered from the planets base, each completely filled with hundreds of wooden buildings jutting out from their exterior. "Wroshyr trees, most of the planet is covered with them" Ahsoka waved her arm around them "each is basically it's own city".

Fighting against the tug at her gut Barriss chanced a look down below, what looked like miles of nothing but air eventually led to a lush forest spanning the entirety of her view "I can barely see the forest below".

Ahsoka followed her friends gaze with a slight nod "more of a swampland than a forest, but yeah it's quite a drop down".

Barriss let her hood fall to her shoulders as a strong gust of wind blew a few loose bangs against her face, running a hand through her hair she instantly raised an eyebrow "my hair feels like it's brushed, I didn't brush it". Letting go of her hand Ahsoka started down the docking bay at a brisk pace as Barriss continued to shake her head "I know I didn't brush it". Taking a few quick strides to catch up with her friend she shot Ahsoka a weird look "did you brush my hair?".

Ahsoka turned from her friends gaze "I woke a few hours before you, there's surprisingly little to do on a Jedi flagship". Barriss opened her mouth to mention that given they were in charge of said ship there was in reality _hundreds_ of things to do but decided it better to let the matter drop. Exiting the docking bay they quickly made their way to a large circular structure jutting out from the tree, a holo-projector sat in the middle of the wooden circle surrounded by several wookiee warriors. The wookiee she recognized as Chewbacca moved from the side of the projector and let out a slight roar in Ahsoka's direction.

Barriss led master Kota to stand by the holo-projector as Ahsoka embraced the wookiee in a short hug, one that lifted the young Togruta from her feet "ugh!, it's...good to see you too Chewie". With another roar Chewbacca set Ahsoka back down "I'd like you to meet fellow Jedi Barriss Offee and Rahm Kota, Barriss is...".

Holding back an awkward laugh Barriss took a few steps closer to Chewbacca "uh perhaps an explanation best saved for later, a pleasure to meet you Chewbacca" sharing a short bow with the wookiee warrior she took her place back in front of the holo-projector.

Clearing her throat turned all heads towards Ahsoka, the young Togruta moved proudly beside Barriss before speaking, raising her voice for all to hear "alright people lives are at stake here, what have we got?". Chewbacca stepped to the side along with his fellow warriors as a wookiee almost double their size moved forward, designated by his thick armor and headgear as the general of the group the wookiee hit a button on the holo-projector as he began a series of deep growls.

Switching her gaze downward Barriss studied the hologram, depicting a large home built into the very top of a wroshyr tree as the wookiee general continued his explanation. Seeing an obvious blank look from master Kota she began to translate "apparently the royal family were training their youngest in the woods outside their home when a strange rustle sent all but the father back into the hut. The father went off into the woods in search of what he thought would be a simple bantha, instead he found nothing. On his way back he came under repeated blaster fire from an unknown source, he was hit several times in his legs and arms but managed to make it back to his hut".

As Barriss stopped to take a breath Ahsoka continued the translation "since that incident several events almost identical to this one have taken place all over Kashyyyk, each injuring one or two members of every royal family but so far no deaths have been reported".

Both Ahsoka and the wookiee general stopped talking at the exact same moment, giving Kota a moment to step forward. The Jedi Master leaned against the holo-projector as his gaze studied the hologram extensively "it obvious now this bounty hunter was hired only to scare the royal families, but we still have no idea who he is or where they hide in between these attacks".

At the last of Kota's words Chewbacca stepped into the conversation, nodding slightly to tell Barriss to translate his words "there was a report a few days ago, a pack of children were playing down by the shore when they saw a strange ship fly into the swampland, deep into the swampland".

Kota nodded in Chewie's direction "so this bounty hunter is no doubt hiding out in the lower levels, this complicates things".

Barriss raised an eyebrow "why's that?".

"Kashyyyk's ecology exist on seven levels" Ahsoka answered "the one we're on now is the seventh, the others start as you enter the swamplands. The problem is they get increasingly dangerous as you descend, even the wookiee's most proud warriors won't go into the bottom levels".

Barriss easily committed all she had just learned to memory before turning towards the wookie general "if this bounty hunter is hiding in the lower levels we must find him before he decides to strike again, we'll need someone to guide us through the levels". The wookiee general looked to the squadron of warriors standing behind him, each warrior either took a few steps back or shook their heads defiantly. The wookiee general let out a rage filled howl, something involving useless teddy bears Barriss felt didn't warrant translating, but still no one stepped forward.

Looking at the otherwise proud warriors with a mix of fear and confusion Barriss found her gaze finally shift to Chewbacca as the wookiee moved forward and howled proudly to Ahsoka. Ahsoka smiled as she shook Chewie's hand "I knew you wouldn't let me down Chewie" turning to master Kota Ahsoka explained "Chewbacca's gonna do his best to guide me and Barriss through the lower levels".

Kota bowed to the young Togruta "excellent Commander, and your orders for me and the crew?".

Barriss stole a glance back towards the docked Eclipse before answering "the militia are to stay here and provide assistance where needed, I want you to visit the last royal family to be attacked and get a more detailed description of what happened".

Ahsoka nodded "you'll need someone to translate, can anyone in your militia understand the wookiee dialect?".

Kota took a moment to think "yes, yes I believe captain Ace can, with your permission we'll depart immediately Commander".

* * *

><p>As they headed back towards the crowded docking bay Ahsoka took off at a run up the metal ramp leading into Kota's flagship "I'll get the transport necessary to get us to the shore, you two wait here".<p>

Barriss watched Ahsoka's form disappear into the ship before leading Chewbacca to the edge of the docking bay, both stepping around the large circle of silent AT-TE's that had formed on Ahsoka's command. Taking a few deep breaths of Kashyyyk's fresh air Barriss finally turned towards her new friend "so Chewbacca, about what Ahsoka started to say before. Do you have anyone...special in your life?".

Looking down to match her gaze Chewbacca let out a series of low growls "a wife, ya know I've never seen a female wookiee before. Anyway Ahsoka is like that but for me, I mean we're not married but...". Barriss felt the wind ripped from her lungs as Chewbacca lifted her from her feet, wrapping two furry arms around her body as he growled happily "whoa!, well thank you Chewbacca but...ugh!...you're sort of crushing me!".

With one last roar Chewbacca set the girl back on her feet, Barriss took a moment to regain her composure before bowing to her friend "I'm glad you approve Chewbacca, Ahsoka speaks very highly of you. But to answer your question I'd have to check the archives but I'm pretty certain children will be impossible". Another light growl forced a small laugh from Barriss "yeah, something like that".

The sound of a small rocket engine roaring to life caused both Barriss and Chewbacca to turned back towards the Eclipse as two brown speeder bikes bellowed out of the loading ramp, each leaving a thin trail of dust behind them as they stopped just short of the docking bay. Watching Ahsoka hop of the nearest bike Barriss stretched her arm out just time to catch a pair of black goggles as they were thrown to her. "I think we're short a speeder".

"Kota only had two" Ahsoka explained "you're riding with me". After giving Chewbacca a silent nod to take the speeder behind them the young Togruta pulled her goggles back onto her face and hopped on the speeder beside her. "Hop on sweetie".

Barriss felt a smile tug at her lips as she strapped on her own goggles and slid on the back of the speeder "I knew that would catch on". Wrapping both arms around Ahsoka's waist Barriss felt the engine roar to life under her legs, the strong motion sending a slight vibration through her body.

With a twist of Ahsoka's wrist the speeder took off down the docking bay, leaving the metallic structure behind in a matter of seconds as they roared by a number of huts in their way down the many wooden walkways. Being careful to keep her mouth closed as the wind whipped against her face Barriss took one hand off her friends waist long enough to wave to a pack of wookiee children playing at the side of the walkway.

After chancing a quick look back she lightly tapped the shoulder in front of her "Ahsoka not that I don't trust your judgment but shouldn't Chewbacca being leading?".

"Please, I know exactly where I'm going" throwing her entire body into a sharp right turn Ahsoka doubled their speed as they traveled down a short platform "I'd tighten your grip".

Barriss glanced over her friends shoulder, the wooden platform they were currently speeding across not only came to rather unsafe end just a few feet ahead but their current speed and the glaze in Ahsoka's eyes told her they wouldn't be slowing down anytime now. "Ahsoka I'd much more comfortable jumping down, this is no time for unnecessary risks".

Ahsoka squinted her eyes as she focused ahead "you haven't been Skyguys padawan long enough, we'll be fine".

"I'm afraid you might have been his padawan for too long" taking her friends advice Barriss wrapped her arms tight around Ahsoka's waist and fought her instinct to close her eyes. With one last rev of the engine Ahsoka plunged the speeder off the walkway and into the air, for a few seconds time seemed to slow as Barriss finally realized her friends plan _'okay, this could be fun'_.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Docking bay of the Eclipse <strong>_

Master Kota watched with what he liked to call _patient anticipation_ as captain Ace finally stepped inside the shuttle of the T-6, although he was wearing the same mix of a dark blue militia uniform and thin metal armor the captains deep green eyes and thin brown hair easily set him apart from any other captain on the ship. Waiting until Ace took his place in the co-pilots chair Kota began to prep the ship "tell me captain, exactly how much of the wookiee dialect do you know?".

Ace took a moment to think as he messed with the controls in front of him "I took a brief semester class my last year of college sir".

"Well this should prove interesting" Kota half joked "lets hope Barriss and Ahsoka have an easier time with their mission". After finally gripping the ships controls master Kota slowly brought the T-6 into the air, expertly piloting the ship out of the Eclipse's docking bay and into the cool evening air of Kashyyyk's capital. As the ship made it's way straight up the giant wroshyr tree that encased it's entire view port Kota turned to the captain at his side "I know there's something you want to say Ace, out with it soldier".

Ace hesitated for a moment as he rubbed his head nervously "it's nothing serious sir...but, on our way to Kashyyyk I did some research on our new Commanders. I'd never question your command sir but are you sure putting two young girls in charge of the entire crew is a good idea?".

"Age doesn't always bring wisdom captain, sometimes a young mindset is precisely what the Jedi lack. That being said I have the utmost trust in both girls skills, both Barriss and Ahsoka know how much is riding on them completing this mission". With the last of his words Kota pulled back on the ships controls, narrowly avoiding a large branch as the T-6 punched through to the wroshyr trees top. The trees top easily bested anything the Jedi master had seen of the wookiee planet to date, branches wide enough to land a cruiser on spread off in every direction while leaves off all shapes and sizes covered the entire top in a thick canopy, giving the top of the tree the illusion of housing its own personal forest. Kota's trained eyes easily spotted the small wooden hut in the very middle of the canopy "there, looks like these branches can support the ships weight".

Working in a silent unison both captain Ace and master Kota brought the T-6 to rest directly beside the wookiee's hut, once docked Kota stood from his seat "be on your guard captain, I've got a bad feeling about this".

Following the Jedi master down the ships ramp and into the blistering sun as they made their down the long branch that served as a walkway captain Ace pulled the blaster rifle from his back, giving the weapon a quick check over before strapping it back in its place "you always do sir".

* * *

><p>Barriss held her breath as Ahsoka's speeder bike all but slammed into the bark of the wroshyr tree, only allowing herself a breath when another turn of Ahsoka's wrist steadied the speeder and sent it accelerating down the side of the giant tree at a slant. Fighting the bile in her throat back down Barriss chanced a look behind as Chewbacca perfectly copied their action, the wookiee gave his speeder a quick rev forward and feel back in line behind them. "Next time could you at least tell me what your doing <em>before<em> we go air born?".

Ahsoka kept her gaze straight ahead as they neared the base of the tree, aiming for a root that gave way to a sandy white beach the young Togruta bit down on her bottom lip. The speeder hit the beach softer than either had expected, sending only a small cluster of sand into the air as Ahsoka brought the speeder to a stop. Smiling mainly to herself Ahsoka stepped off the speeder as Chewbacca pulled up beside her "you were right Chewie, that was fun".

Simply shaking her head at her friends Barriss slipped the goggles off her face and hopped off the speeder "your both painfully insane, it would have been easier _and_ faster to fly down in a ship. Not to mention...". A small chill forcing her sentence short Barriss looked down to her boots, the white sand beneath her feet was growing increasingly soggy as the waves behind them lapped upon one another. "The tides coming in, we should probably get moving while there's still some daylight to light the way".

After a soft roar from Chewbacca Ahsoka nodded to the wookiee "good idea, Barriss could you give me a hand?". Rather than wait for a reply the young Togruta raised both her hands towards the speeders setting a few feet away, letting out a few loud grunts as both speeders lifted into the air and slowly started moving to the closest root of the wroshyr tree. Sensing her friends discomfort Barriss raised her hands to help, focusing intently on the speeders as she worked with Ahsoka to set them gently on the root that rose several feet above the beach. Sharing a silent nod with her friend Barriss turned her gaze towards the start of the swamplands.

More of a sudden maze of trees than an actual entrance both Barriss and Ahsoka pulled their main saber from their side, igniting the blue and green blades as the fell in line behind the wookiee in front of them. Reaching around his shoulder Chewbacca pulled his bowcaster from his back, quickly checking the weapon before taking the first step inside the swamplands. Almost instantly all three found the sunlight ripped from their view as the trees towering above them plunged them into darkness, even squinting Barriss found it impossible to see anything farther than a foot in front of her.

They walked for what felt like hours in an endless sea of black before a soft roar from Chewbacca stopped all three in their tracks. Putting a hand on the wookiee's shoulder Ahsoka squinted at the mess of tree's around them "what is it Chewie?". Another roar caused the young Togruta to shake her head "are you sure?, I don't sense anything".

Stepping around the wookiee warrior Barriss pulled her second paired saber from her waist, using both blue blades to light the small path ahead, nothing but darkness met her gaze "you're letting your feelings get the better of you Chewbacca, try and relax". Taking a single step forward Barriss felt a small puddle of water soak into her boot "I think there's a swamp ahead, we should probably check the surrounding area before venturing any deeper".

"Navigating this forest is gonna be difficult" Ahsoka stated "we can't risk getting split apart once we leave the trail".

Deactivating both her sabers Barriss clipped the weapons back to her side "you'll have to lead Ahsoka, you have the best eyesight out of the three of us".

Ahsoka nodded, moving her green saber in front of her as she took Barriss' hand "whatever happens do _not_ let go". Meeting the Togruta's eyes through the darkness Barriss nodded while moving her free hand back to Chewbacca and taking his furry hand in her own. Chewbacca kept his bowcaster at the ready, aimed directly behind them as Ahsoka took the first step off the path that had guided them this far. As slow as they had moved on the path it was doubly so as all three walked hand in hand through the deepest parts of the swampland, tripping over vines and small stones with almost every step Ahsoka let loose a few obscenities as they finally took a moment to rest.

With her only Togruta instincts to rely on Ahsoka led all three to a large boulder and sat down with her friends "this is crazy, you'd have to be insane to camp out down here".

Completely ignoring Ahsoka's words Barriss found herself transfixed, a single blue dot that looked to be miles away in the darkness sparked in and out before disappearing entirely "in that case I think I found our nutcase, there's something up ahead". As Barriss tried to stand she was pulled back down by Chewbacca's strong grip "ow!, Chewbacca what's the problem?". A small whimper from the wookiee warrior sent her heart racing "a giant weaver, how close?". At the last of her words the area around them exploded in a searing red light, all three heads moved up simultaneously as Barriss felt her throat go dry "oh".

Hanging above them in a thick web of vines sat eight long red legs easily the size of the average human, connected at the base by a monstrous abdomen leading to a face covered in two fangs spewing forth a thick green goo. Ahsoka tightened her grip on her saber "whatever it was you saw, lead the way!".

* * *

><p>Master Kota climbed the small set of steps to the royal families wooden hut, a small porch housed a number of wooden benches surrounding a small table. Two wookiee's sat at the table, turning as he approached the larger of the two stood to his full height, easily towering over the Jedi. As he bowed to the wookiee in front of him Master Kota could sense the confusion surrounding the situation "relax friend, my name is Master Rahm Kota, I'm just here to talk". At a loud roar from the wookiee Kota turned to the captain at his side "what did he say?".<p>

Ace took a moment before answering "he wants us to relinquish our weapons sir".

"Very well, do as he says" pulling his lightsaber from it's holster on his back Master Kota floated the weapon to the nearby table, doing the same with Ace's pistol and rifle as the Captain removed them. Once all three weapons hit the table the second wookiee jumped down from his seat, revealing himself to only be half the size of the larger wookiee. Turning back the larger wookiee growled lightly to his comrade, with a silent nod shared between them the smaller wookiee walked across the porch and disappeared inside the house. "The larger of the two just told his son to wait inside sir, he would like us to take a seat" Ace promptly translated.

Following a wave of the wookiee's arm both Kota and Ace sat down at the small circular table, the wookiee sat across from them and immediately started into a series of low growls. Ace translated as fast as he could "he...apologizes for the precaution but ever since the attack on his family he's been a bit on edge. He wants to properly introduce himself...wait I know this...wait...he says his name is Watt Sombarr, yeah I think that's right".

Master Kota stretched an arm across the table and shook the wookiee's hand, holding back a wince at Watt's painful grip "a pleasure to meet you Sombarr, I was hoping I could ask you a few questions about the attack on your family?". Watt slowly nodded before pointing off the huts porch and into the mess of leaves and vines ahead "he's afraid he can't tell you anything you probably don't already know, the shots came from that direction and he didn't see who shot them".

Kota clasped his hands on the table in front of him "tell me Sombarr, you've no doubt handled a blaster at some point in your life. Taking were you and your kid were standing at the time of the attack into consideration, would hitting you have been a difficult shot?".

A loud roar even Kota could recognize as a laugh filled the area as Watt shook his head, starting another series of growls Ace followed along "he says both him and his son were standing completely in the open when the first shot was taken, there was no wind, no direct sunlight, he says even the smallest wookiee infant could have made the shot".

Shielding his eyes from the sunlight Kota looked outward from the porch "so whoever did this was obviously not hired to kill you, only scare you, interesting".

"Sir if I may?" after a slight nod from Kota Ace turned in his seat to face the wookiee "Sombarr is there anything at all you remember seeing during the attack that seemed even slightly out of the ordinary?". After a soft growl from Watt Ace nodded "he says no, but his son has apparently been spouting some nonsense ever since the attack about seeing something odd".

"Anything's worth a look" Kota stated "may we speak with your son?". Watt rose from his seat and walked to the door of his hut, opening the door long enough to growl loudly inside. In a matter of seconds Watt's son exited the door, sharing a short conversation with his father before walking over to the table and taking a seat beside his father.

A disapproving look on Watt's face the son started hesitantly, Ace took a moment to nod at the small wookiee before translating "the son says while they were running to the hut he saw what looked an antenna out of the corner of his eye. He says the antenna shined brightly from the suns reflection before ducking into the leaves and disappearing, apparently his father has told him he was seeing things but he insists he knows what he saw".

Kota looked to his lightsaber setting across the table as he took in the kids words "an antenna, Sombarr after the attack did your scanners pick up any electronic equipment, maybe a ship or a thruster pack?".

Watt quickly shook his head as Ace translated his growls "nothing at all sir, it's as if whoever fired the shots simply disappeared. Sir with all due respect this is going nowhere, you'd practically have to be force sensitive to make it down this tree without any assistance".

Kota nodded to the Captain "the shots came from a long distance, the kid says he saw an antenna, and the attacker apparently scaled down the wroshyr tree with no equipment to aid in the drop". Getting a confused look from everyone else at the table Kota brought his com-link to mouth "Barriss, Ahsoka, we have a positive id on the bounty hunter".

* * *

><p>Barriss pushed off the boulder with all the strength she could gather, feeling the wind from the weaver's fangs just graze her back as she took off into the dark forest. Chewbacca started directly after her, his powerful legs allowing him to easily keep pace. Last off was Ahsoka, the young Togruta swiped her green saber at the weaver, forcing the giant insect to take a few steps back as she took off after her friends. Barriss kept her gaze straight ahead as she ran through the darkness, well aware of the bright red light quickly approaching from behind as Ahsoka finally caught up beside her "we can't outrun this thing!".<p>

"I might have an idea!" Barriss stole a glance back to the wookiee running behind her "Chewbacca does this thing have a weak point!". Chewbacca offered a loud growl in reply "perfect!, get ready to shoot!". Fighting her instinct to flee Barriss stopped running and turned to face the charging insect, the weaver easily smashed tree after tree out of it's ways as it plowed towards them. Barriss brought both her hands up as she closed her eyes, drawing on the force as much as she could as the weaver drew closer.

Only a few feet from them the weaver stopped in its tracks, its many eyes looking all around as it clawed out at an invisible force. Moaning loudly Barriss fell to one knee "shoot now Chewbacca!, I can't keep it dazed for long!". Chewbacca brought his bowcaster to his chest and squinted down the weapons sight, taking only a moment to sight his target before pulling the trigger. A single red blaster bolt sped across the forest and met the weavers open mouth all in the blink of an eye, finally releasing her grip Barriss and the weaver both fell to the ground, the latter shaking the ground as a violent hiss filled the forest.

When a deathly silence once again surrounded them Ahsoka ran to Barriss' side "Barriss are you okay!".

Pushing away Ahsoka's hand Barriss help herself back to her feet "I'll be fine, I made friends with an entire group of rancor's when we formed the force meld and know it takes everything I have to daze one oversized spider".

"Jedi don't crave power Barriss, just relax you did fine. But we need to get moving, weaver's usually hunt in groups".

"No kidding" Barriss took a quick look around the darkness before the same blue spark caught her eye, taking a few steps towards it she jumped backwards as a small jolt traveled through her body. In a split second the entire section of forest lit up in a bright blue light as a giant electric fence sparked to life, forcing all three to shield their eyes and take a few steps back.

Squinting her eyes against the light Ahsoka looked to the top of the fence "we have to get over this thing, all this light is bound to attract every creature in the damn forest". Before anyone could move an inch all three found their focus shifter back behind them, all across the forest the shining red light of several giant weavers created a cascade of light that barreled towards them. "Okay!, up and over Chewie!" Ahsoka and Barriss both focused their energy in the wookiee warrior, lifting Chewbacca into the air and all but throwing him over the electric fence.

Barriss shared a small nod with her friend before running towards Ahsoka clasped hands and pushing off the hands with all her strength, easily sailing over the fence and landing on her feet on the other side. Watching Ahsoka jump over the fence behind her Barriss felt her heart skip for a moment before a deep breath got her emotions back under control. Ahsoka's boots hit the ground directly beside her, all three turned back to the fence just in time to leap backwards as the first giant weaver charged into the electric flow. An ungodly scream followed as the spider like creature was burned to a crisp the second he made contact, hitting the ground with a loud enough thud to stop the remaining weavers in their tracks.

A moment of silence went by as the weavers looked between the burnt corpse of their comrade and the electric fence separating them from their prey. One by one the weavers lost their red glow and disappeared back into the forest, knocking over more than a few trees in the process. Barriss turned to Chewbacca once the coast was clear "you okay Chewbacca?". A low growl from Chewbacca brought a smile to her face "too close seems to be a mainstay for the Jedi, you get used to it".

"No" gathering both her friends attention Ahsoka pulled both lightsabers from her waist "not her, not again". Barriss raised an eyebrow before following Ahsoka's gaze, taking up the majority of room in the circular fence sat an idle ship she recognized as a slightly modified Firespray-31. But the look on Ahsoka's face made it clear this ship being here was no coincidence.

Barriss pulled her paired sabers from her waist as she moved to stand beside Ahsoka "Ahsoka what's wrong?, who's ship is this?".

Before Ahsoka could answer a loud static from both girls wrists brought their com-links to their mouths, Master Kota's strong voice eventually broke through the static "Barriss, Ahsoka, we have a positive id on the bounty hunter".

"I think Ahsoka may have beat you to it Master, let me get back to you" giving her friend one last worried look Barriss activated her sabers "who are dealing with Ahsoka, Cad Bane?, Greedo?".

"Your friends pretty slow to put the pieces together isn't she?" following the faint voice the loading ramp of the nearby ship opened with a loud hiss, Ahsoka's gaze visibly hardened as a strange female alien started down the ramp with a smile spread on her face. Looking to Barriss to be nearly human the girls slender form and alabaster skin quickly gave her identity.

Meeting the bounty hunters eyes Ahsoka ignited both her sabers and moved them to their regular Shien stance "Aurra Sing, you're the one behind these attacks?".

Aurra let a crocked grin cross her face "my dear you sound surprised, and all this time I thought we understood one another. With the credits the separatists are paying me to scare these fur balls I'd have to be an idiot to pass up this job". Pulling her blaster pistol from her waist Aurra switched her gaze to Barriss and Chewie "aw you brought friends this time. Cute. Do I get an introduction Mirialan?".

Choosing to ignore Aurra's strangely calm demeanor Barriss swung her sabers in a few loose circles "lay down your arms bounty hunter!, we can still end this peacefully".

"ugh" simply rolling her eyes at the proposal Aurra trained her pistol on Chewbacca "how about you wookiee, any words of wisdom?". A loud roar and the sights of Chewbacca's bowcaster on her face from Chewbacca made no change in Aurra's fierce eyes "didn't think so".

Ahsoka took a few steps closer to the bounty hunter, attracting Aurra's attention instantly "it's three against one Aurra, do the smart thing and surrender".

"Oh you know I'd love to my dear" Aurra mocked "unfortunately I just received new orders, turns out I get to finish the job on the wookiee's precious royal family after all. Really I just came out to leave you a few parting gifts, here's one". In one fluid motion Aurra raised her pistol back towards Chewbacca and let loose on the trigger, a single red blaster bolt pierced the darkness before finding its mark in the wookiee's chest.

"Chewie!" Ahsoka deactivated her lightsabers and ran to Chewbacca's side as the wookiee quickly fell to the ground, a small cloud of smoke rising from the hole in his chest.

Barriss watched dumbfounded on what to do as Aurra once again fired her pistol, sending the electric fence around them into a fit of mad sparks before it shorted out completely "and there's two, have fun Jedi".

The thick darkness once again surrounding her Barriss took a few quick strides to chase Aurra as the bounty hunter disappeared inside her ship "Barriss let her go!, Kota can handle her just get over here now!".

Stopping in her tracks at Ahsoka's words Barriss turned her back to Aurra's ship as it took off while raising her com-link to her mouth "Master Kota Aurra's on her way to kill the royal family!, we'll give chase as soon as we can but we got a situation of our own down here!".

Kota's voice answered instantly "understood Commander, we'll be ready for her".

Barriss fell to her knees beside Ahsoka, the young Togruta held Chewbacca's hand in her own as the blood covering the wookiee's chest began to seep into his fur. Her training kicking in almost instantly she felt her heart drop "Ahsoka...there's nothing I can do".

"What?" Ahsoka tightened her grip on Chewbacca's hand "Barriss this is what you've trained for, how can there be nothing you can do?".

Ahsoka's grief stricken words punching a whole in her heart Barriss ripped a piece of cloth from her robe, wrapping the black cloth around Chewbacca's chest "look Ahsoka I know what you're feeling right now but we have to be realistic about this, Master Kota may need our help protecting the royal family".

"You're not suggesting we just leave him?" Ahsoka met Chewbacca's distant eyes "what about our force healing?, maybe we could at least close the wound?".

Barriss quickly shook her head "I've been practicing my healing for years and it takes everything I have to heal a simple cut, even together it wouldn't be enough. Unless...".

"Unless what?" Ahsoka pleaded.

"Well...the force meld let us do _incredible_ things before. Who's to say it wouldn't give us enough power to help Chewbacca?".

A short silence followed as both girls took a moment to go over Barriss' words in their head, well aware of Chewbacca's constant short breaths Ahsoka was first to pull herself together "lets do it, lets reform the force meld".

Barriss raised an eyebrow "Ahsoka are you sure?, the council may not agree with this decision".

"I don't care, Barriss I know this isn't exactly what a Jedi Master would do right now but I refuse to leave a friend to die when I know there's something I can do to stop it. If the council doesn't agree with this decision than they can either live with it or kick us out". Letting go of Chewie's hand Ahsoka took a few steps back and sat down in the darkness, quickly crossing her legs and meeting Barriss' eyes "if I get banished saving a friends life, I'll proudly walk out of the temple with my head held high".

"There's the girl I fell in love with" rising to her feet Barriss took a moment to make sure the cloth on Chewbacca's wound was in place before moving to Ahsoka's side and setting down beside her. Without a second thought as to the repercussions, the consequences of their actions, both girls closed their eyes and let the force envelop one another.

* * *

><p>The feeling of the meld forming was unlike anything Barriss had felt before, and at the same time it was instantly recognizable. Completely indescribable, pure ecstasy and unbridled pain mixed perfectly together washed over every inch of her body, forcing every pore to stand on end as she held back a small moan. Seconds screeched to a halt as Ahsoka's force presence mixed with her own, everything that was and ever would be Ahsoka Tano flashed through her mind in the time it took one to blink. Then, as quickly as it started, it was over.<p>

Both girls reopened their eyes and stood to their feet in perfect unison, Ahsoka immediately ran to Chewbacca's side before glancing back to Barriss _'please tell me you can hear this?'_.

Despite the grave situation Barriss felt a smile tug at her lips_ 'perfectly, lets just hope this works'_. Moving to Chewbacca's opposite end she slowly lowered her hands onto the wookiee's chest, the still warm blood covering her palms as she did so _'put your hands on top of mine_'. Doing what asked of her Ahsoka closed her eyes along with Barriss, both girls began to feel the force energy enveloping their hands. A number of minutes went by with no progress as both girls focused intently on the force energy around them, slowly drawing it through them and into Chewbacca's wound. What happened next did so so suddenly it forced both girls to remove their hands and rise to their feet.

Chewbacca took in one giant gasp, rising into the air covered entirely in a faint blue aura as both Barriss and Ahsoka felt their jaw drop. The wound in Chewbacca's chest slowly began to close, the blood surrounding it all but disappearing as the wookiee's eyes finally reopened. Barriss rose a hand and slowly lowered Chewbacca to his feet as the blue energy left his body, finding his footing after a quick stumble Chewie looked to Ahsoka with wide eyes and roared. Ahsoka rushed forward and wrapped her arms around the wookiee's waist "yes Chewie I'm fine, I'm so glad you're okay".

Barriss waited for Chewbacca to pick Ahsoka from her feet and return her hug before speaking "I don't suppose you two remember where we are?, perhaps we could have this heart warming moment somewhere not infested with giant insects".

Promptly putting Ahsoka down Chewbacca retrieved his bowcaster from the ground and strapped the weapon back onto his back with a low growl. Ahsoka nodded in reply "Chewie's right, how are we supposed to get out of here?".

Barriss smiled towards her friends, already hearing the blood curdling calls of several giant weavers nearing their position "you leave that to me".


	20. A New Destiny

_A secret assault!, with bounty hunter Aurra Sing ready to make her strike against Kashyyyk's royal family Jedi Master Rahm Kota, with the help of Militia Captain Ace, quickly form a plan to save the wookiee family from assassination. Meanwhile, well out of range from the wookiee home world, Separatist leader Count Dooku receives an urgent message from his Sith lord Darth Sidious._

**Chapter 20: A New Destiny **

_**Separatist Dreadnaught, galactic coordinates: classified **_

Dooku stepped onto the bridge of his star destroyer and immediately nodded to the droid setting in the Captains chair, the droid rose from its seat and walked away without so much as a word needed in explanation. Hitting the controls in front of him with a wave of his hand Dooku fell to one knee as the projection of Lord Sidious flickered to life "what is thy bidding?, my Master".

Sidious' coarse voice echoed throughout the small bridge "it has come to my attention that Skywalker's padawan is well on her way to destroying my plan for the clone wars, she is recently on a mission on the wookiee home world that if successful will force the Jedi to consider changing their code entirely. For my plan to succeed the Jedi code must _not_ change, Skywalker's padawan must be killed before her mission is complete!".

Dooku nodded as he stood to his feet "what course of action would you have us take Master?, a planetary wide invasion will take some time to plan?".

Lord Sidious quickly shook his head "the wookiee's will fall to my power one day, but not today. Both padawans Ahsoka Tano and Barriss Offee are on Kashyyyk's capital with Jedi Master Rahm Kota investigating attacks on the royal families. I've made sure all three Jedi have more than enough trouble to keep them busy until you arrive, you will send General Grievous to wipe them all out before this problem escalates".

Dooku cautiously raised an eyebrow, being sure to avoid Sidious' eyes as he spoke "Master if this matter is of such importance perhaps _I_ should lead the assault?, Grievous has proven himself to be rather unreliable over the years".

Sidious raised his fist into the air, forcing Dooku to take a quick step back "That scrap piles usefulness is at an end!, whether he lives or dies is no longer an issue. Give him whatever orders you must, just make sure he gets the job done". A grin crossing his lips Lord Sidious tapped the controls of whatever was in front of him "I want you to meet me at these coordinates, the final steps of my plan are falling into place".

Grinning himself Dooku bowed heavily to the projection in front of him "as you wish, my Master".

^0^0^0^

_**Kashyyyk's capital, entrance to the swamplands**_

Barriss willed the giant weaver underneath her to stop just short of the beach, the eight legged monster had fought her a tad bit more than the rancor on Felucia but the same conclusion had eventually been drawn. Her mind once again completely in sync with Ahsoka's both padawans hopped off the weavers back, causing two small splashes of water as the high tide crept to their knees. Barriss rose a hand to gently float Chewbacca off the weavers back before willing the creature to disappear back into the darkness. Waiting till the creature's loud steps could no longer be heard she turned to face her friends "a bad time to realize you're afraid of spiders".

Ahsoka gave her a simple pat on the back before looking to the sky "if we hurry we may still be able to help Master Kota". After a quick nod from both of her friends the young Togruta took off at a run across the white sanded beach towards the nearest root of the wroshyr tree where both speeders still sat idle. Hopping on her speeder Ahsoka looked back as both Chewbacca and Barriss climbed on the speeder behind her "I'm gonna need some help to reach the top, when the time comes give me a little push okay".

Barriss wrapped her arms around Chewbacca's waist as the speeder's engine roared to life "no problem, I'll go with Chewbacca to the Eclipse and get a ship to assist". A slight nod of Ahsoka's head was all she got in reply before both speeders started back up the giant trees side, gaining speed with every inch as their engines were pushed to their limits. Almost losing her nerve at a few loose sputters from the engine Barriss tightened her grip on Chewie's waist as the hood was blown down from her head. Blowing her bangs from her eyes she got a clear view just in time to see the beginning of a brown walkway close in ahead of them "keep it steady Chewie!".

With a strong knot forming in her stomach Barriss loosened her grip on the wookiee warrior and brought one open palm off the side of the speeder. Not wanting to risk closing her eyes the girl instead tried her hardest to block out the situation at hand, instead focusing intently on the speeder in front of her. In a matter of seconds a strong blue aura had materialized in her hand, as Ahsoka gunned the throttle and sent her speeder off the side of the tree and into the air Barriss thrust her arm forward. The charged force push hit Ahsoka's speeder the moment it started to drop to the ground, sending it soaring skyward once again straight towards the top of the wroshyr tree.

A strong lurch forcing her gaze back to her own speeder Barriss felt her boots touch solid ground once again as Chewbacca brought the speeder to a sudden stop at the edge of the wooden walkway. After taking a minute for both to get their bearings Chewie pulled back on the throttle and steered the speeder down the long walkway leading to the docked Eclipse.

^0^0^0^

Master Kota pulled his lightsaber into his hand, watching from the huts porch as the T-6 shuttle containing both Captain Ace and the royal family slowly rose into the air. Clenching his fist as a swift silence enveloped the area around him "come on Aurra, be a good girl and take the bait". Watching the sun finally set in the distance Kota reluctantly clipped his saber to his back as the T-6 dove down the night sky and disappeared from view. Bringing his com-link to his mouth he had just enough to switch the device on before a series of red blaster bolts ran towards the sky from the side of the wroshyr tree.

Kota steeled himself as the T-6 shuttle once again rose above him, sailing by overhead as it swerved back and forth to dodge the never ending bolts racing towards it. His eyes finally adjusting to the darkness Kota instantly recognized the ship flying right behind the T-6 as the _Slave One, _although the metallic ship seemed a bit worse for the wear it still managed to trail extremely close as it chased its target through the night sky. The incessant blaster fire ringing in his ears Kota brought two hands up and aimed his gaze towards Aurra's ship, but before he had the chance to concentrate his thoughts an orange blur ahead forced his focus away from the two ships.

Ahsoka wearily took her hands off the throttle as her speeder finally cleared the tree's top, soaring several feet above the small forest as the young Togruta stood to her feet on the back of the falling speeder. Taking only a split second to prepare herself Ahsoka dove forward, igniting both her green and gold sabers as she began to fall through the darkness. The crisp night air sending a cold chill through her body as she fell she turned her stance in the air, aiming for the ground feet first as she slowed her descent with help from the force. Before she could hit the ground the _Slave One_ dove down towards her, taking a few rather close shots to the falling Jedi as it soared passed.

Having turned the tide of the resulting dogfight the T-6 quickly gave chase to the bounty hunters ship, only veering off its path long enough to dive under Ahsoka's falling form. Ahsoka hit the roof of the T-6 with a loud thud, her boots struggling to find grip on it's metallic surface as she quickly used the ships top wing to sturdy herself. Master Kota watched the scene unfold from the huts porch, wide eyed at the padawans grace as she continued to ride on top of the speeding ship mid dogfight. Having to shake his thoughts back towards the situation at hand as his earlier plan once again filled his mind.

After a few deep breaths the Jedi Master brought both arms upward, aiming two clenched fists towards the _Slave One_ is it veered by overhead. It's engines sputtering in protest the _Slave One_ came to a sudden stop in the air, stopped dead by an invisible force. As Kota prepared to send the ship plummeting towards the ground Ahsoka's voice rang in his com-link "wait Master!, I can take her alive!".

Kota chanced a glance at the T-6 as it approached the rival ship, slowing down significantly as Ahsoka jumped to the roof of the Slave One and slid down towards the front view port. Sighing reluctantly the Jedi Master relaxed his stance a bit "alright Commander, I'll keep the ship steady as long as I can".

"Be ready to set it down when I give you the order Master" not waiting for an answer Ahsoka slashed her sabers at the ships view port, causing the entire thing to shatter with a small force push. Both lightsabers drawn she jumped inside the ships cockpit, her eye just catching sight of a brown boot before it kicked her main saber from her hand. Ahsoka stepped backwards as Aurra brought a fist up towards her chin, only to have the attack knock the remaining saber from her grasp. With both sabers hitting the metal floor and deactivating on contact the young Togruta ducked to avoid another of Aurra's strikes, bringing her own fist up and connecting with the bounty hunters jaw in a satisfying crack.

Aurra jumped back and quickly shook the attack off "I should of killed you when I had the chance you little bitch!". Before Ahsoka had a chance to react Aurra leaped forward, bringing her booted foot up and knocking Ahsoka on her back with a hard blow to the head "I never make the same mistake twice". Ahsoka shook her head as her vision blurred, fighting through the pain long enough to silently call her main saber to her hand from across the floor. Laughing to herself Aurra smiled devilishly down at the young Togruta before bringing her foot into the air and aiming her boot towards Ahsoka's neck.

Ahsoka brought both hands up and grabbed the boot seconds before it would of touched her skin, activating her saber as a wide spin kick sent her to her feet and Aurra into the air simultaneously. With one swing of the green blade her saber cut the antenna from Aurra's head as she hit the floor with a loud thud. Quickly calling her other saber to her hand Ahsoka strapped both weapons to her waist before raising Aurra's body into the air and almost carelessly sending it flying out the front view port "call me a bitch the tree can break your fall".

As though it was an after thought Ahsoka reluctantly stretched an arm forward, Aurra's body slowed significantly before hitting the royal families porch only a few feet beside Master Kota. The fall still more than enough to knock the bounty hunter unconscious Ahsoka couldn't help but giggle to herself before hitting the switch in front of her and killing the _Slave One's _engines "alright Master, bring it down".

^0^0^0^

By the time Barriss and Chewbacca landed their T-6 shuttle beside an idle _Slave One_ at the top of the wroshyr tree all seemed to be fairly quiet. After telling Chewie to stay with the ship she ran up the steps leading to the huts porch, only to be met with the warm smiles of both Ahsoka and Master Kota. The two Jedi sat across a round table talking with a rather large wookiee she guessed to be the father of the royal family. Relaxing her stance Barriss walked up to the table "i couldn't reach anyone on my com-link, I take it the situation has been handled?".

"Not only handled" Kota corrected, patting Ahsoka gently on the back as he spoke "but handled with a grace and skill I've never seen from someone so young".

Ahsoka turned her face away from the conversation as her Lekku began to brighten "I just did what any Jedi would Master".

Kota nodded "exactly young one, you both performed precisely as a Jedi should. I have a feeling I'm speaking to two soon-to-be Jedi Knights".

A short silence followed before Barriss took a seat at the table, nodding politely as the wookiee slid a warm cup in front of her. After taking a small sip of the rather sweet tasting liquid Barriss let out a short sigh "Master, I believe we've done something you should know about".

Master Kota cast a sly grin across the table "about you reforming the force meld, I could sense it the second you arrived miss Offee". Taking a drink from the cup in front of him Kota raised a hand to silence both girls as they opened their mouths to reply "relax, this decision is yours to make. The council will not way this against you when the time comes, they broke the meld simply to ensure you were both kept safe. If you two are willing to risk the affects of a strong force meld than the council will accept your decision, as will I".

Ahsoka cleared her throat before asking the question on both girls minds "uh Master, what affects are we talking about _exactly_".

Kota took a moment to think, obviously wondering just how much he should tell both girls. "Well as you both know the meld can no longer be broken, even attempting to break it again would no doubt result in both of you becoming one with the force. But the main thing you must understand is that this a force meld this strong means your force presence are so strongly entwined that should one of you cease to exist the other may not be strong enough to continue on her own".

Barriss swallowed a lump forming in her throat "so if one of us die...we both die". A strong knot in her stomach quickly dissipated as she met Ahsoka's eyes "if something ever happened to Ahsoka...maybe it's better this way".

"Your right" stretching her arm across the table Ahsoka took Barriss' hand in her own "without you I'd be no help to anyone anyway".

"Well" Kota quickly finished off the contents of his cup before standing to his feet. "It's been a pleasure and an honor Sombarr but I believe our business is finished here". With a wave of his hand Kota began to lead the way off the wookiee's porch as Ahsoka and Barriss followed close behind. Mostly aimed to himself Kota let a sly grin cross his face "guess I'll take my new ship".

As Kota took the first step up the metal ramp leading to the _Slave One_ both Barriss and Ahsoka stopped at the base of the ramp, offering a silent nod for the Jedi Master to continue into the ship. Once they were alone Barriss turned to the young Togruta with a smile wide on her face "we did it, after all these years we finally earned our right to face the trials".

Ahsoka matched her friends smile before stepping forward and wrapping her arms around Barriss waist. A number of seconds passed as the young Togruta buried her head in the other girls neck "I've dreamed of this day since my hands first touched a training saber, I can't believe it's almost here".

"I know exactly what you..." Barriss cut her own sentence short when a short hiss rang through on her com-link.

Captain Ace's voice struggled to be heard from the garbled transmission "Command...can you hear...".

Barriss shared a worried look with Ahsoka before bringing the com-link to her mouth "say again Captain you're breaking up".

A few seconds of silence followed before Ace's voice came in crystal clear "Commander two Separatists star destroyers just came out of hyperspace and are nearing our position as we speak. What are your orders?".

Before either girl could answer Master Kota came running back out of the ship beside them "we have to get the Eclipse air born before those star destroyers tear it to pieces!".

Ahsoka nodded in confirmation as she rose her com-link to her mouth "Captain get the Eclipse into the air as quickly as possible. I want to meet those star destroyers head on before they can reach this village".

^0^0^0^

Stepping onto the Eclipse's bridge both Barriss and Ahsoka stepped to the side as Master Kota surveyed the sight ahead of them. High in Kashyyyk's night sky two menacing Separatists star destroyers shot a barrage of red laser shots towards the Eclipse. All the while hundreds of ships both droid and Republic fought a seemingly endless battle in between the three larger vessels, blasting in every conceivable direction as small explosions filled the dark sky. A mix of confusion and determination in his eyes Kota turned back to face the girls "this makes no sense, if the Separatists planned to attack after the royal families assassination why only send two star destroyers?".

"Maybe they have more on the way?" Ahsoka guessed.

Barriss slowly shook her head "no if this was a planetary invasion it'd be much quicker, they'd want to get as many troops on the ground as possible to take control of the major villages before Republic reinforcements arrived. There has to be more to this, something we're not seeing".

Master Kota turned his gaze back to the view outside "none of this matters right now, we need to deal with the problem at hand. Those star destroyers are blocking all attempts to call for reinforcements so we're on our own".

"Uh Master" after a slight nod from Kota Ahsoka stepped forward "we have an entire planet of wookiee's underneath us. Technically the Separatists are attacking their home planet right now, I'm sure the wookiee's would be willing to help us".

Before Kota could answer a loud explosion rocked the bridge, causing all three Jedi and the many militia soldiers working nearby to either stumble or fall to the ground. After regaining his balance Kota shook his head in protest "I won't risk so many innocent lives unless the situation cannot be solved any other way, besides, I have a plan".

Ahsoka rolled her eyes on instinct "oh lord". Her action gaining a raised eyebrow from Kota the young Togruta quickly looked away "sorry Master, force of habit when I hear those words. Master Skywalker's plans usually involve some over the top exploit or a giant explosion".

A sly grin crossed Master Kota's "well good news young one, my plan involves both". Pointing a finger out the view port he looked to both padawans "see how those star destroyers are stationed directly across from one another?".

The look on Kota's face forced both Barriss and Ahsoka to take a few steps back "_yes_".

^0^0^0^

"Red leader we are approaching your position, ready to assist" Captain Ace nodded from the cockpit of his Y-wing to the voice ringing in his headset. Although truth be told he barely heard a word of his fellow militia's chatter, with his focus so heavily diverted to the moment at hand. The two Separatists star destroyers filled the view in front as he piloted his ship through the many dogfights going on around him, being thrown off course more than once from a nearby explosion. Bringing a hand to his ear Captain Ace watched as a number of fighters formed a small circle around his ship "General Kota wants the engines disabled on one of those ships, think you boys can get me there?".

"Just worry about keeping up Captain" despite himself Ace felt a small grin cross his lips as he pushed forward on the controls, sending his ship forward along with the circle of fighters. Blaster fire rained down on their position the second they began to skim under the nearest star destroyer, from the readings on his ship Ace counted six vulture droids trailing just behind the group of ships. Much as he would of liked to break formation and help his men take out the droids Ace forced himself to stay in position, with his men outnumbered and outgunned General Kota's plan was the only hope he had of ending this attack quickly.

Well aware of a few shots breaking through the circle surrounding him Captain Ace pushed his ships to its limits to keep up with the fighters. Chancing a look back to his radar he felt his hear leap "Red six watch your ass you got two right on top of you!".

At the last of his words a single fighter pulled aside from the circle, performing a perfect barrel roll to the side and slowing down so that the two vulture droids flew directly passed him. Before either droid had a chance to react Red six let loose with both his ships turrets, reducing both droids to scrap metal in a matter of seconds. Ace couldn't help but smile as Red six rejoined the group "you were saying Captain?".

"Alright Red six not bad, just try and keep an..." Ace cut his sentence short as they finally reached the rear of the star destroyer, pulling hard on the controls of his ship to travel up towards the three giant engines emitting a blue energy that slowly pushed the looming ship through the pitch black sky. "We'll only get one shot at this!, soon as I blow the engines pull back to the Eclipse!". Piloting around the first two massive tubes Ace led his team straight out and away from the star destroyer. A strong knot formed in his stomach as he pulled the ship back around and headed directly for the engines, priming three proton torpedoes as he set eye on his target.

^0^0^0^

_**Bridge of the Separatists star destroyer**_

General Grievous' robotic feet almost lost their hold on the metal floor as a thunderous explosion rocked the entire ship, ignoring the fact that every battle droid around him had fallen from their seats and onto the floor he took a few steps backwards. "Status report now!".

The first battle droid to regain its balance climbed the few steps between them "we seem to have lost all power to the engines General".

"Ah!" lashing out with a closed fist Grievous separated the droids head from its shoulders, turning his back as the droid fell to the ground. Rather than call attention to the incident a second battle droid simply stepped over the remains of his comrade to face the General "we have an incoming signal from Count Dooku General, should I tell him you're _busy_ or...". The droid visibly buckled as Grievous turned his intense gaze to him "I'll just patch it through".

As the battle droid descended back down the stairs Grievous fell to one knee in front of the holo-projector in the middle of the bridge. Dooku's static filled form emerged with a wide scowl on his face "Grievous, has your mission proved successful?".

Grievous kept his head held low "unfortunately sir, Rahm Kota's strategic capabilities have proved far superior to what our records...".

"Those Jedi must not leave Kashyyyk alive!" Dooku's raised voice forced every droid on the bridge to stop what they were doing and look in his direction. "If your troops prove incapable of this task than see to it yourself!, there is _no_ room for failure this time General!. If any of those Jedi escape it will be the end of you!, understood?".

"Of course Count" turning from the projection Grievous pulled his robe from his body "I will not fail you".

^0^0^0^

Ahsoka rubbed her back Lekku nervously as she felt a incredibly strong gust of wind hit her face, stepping out the elevator and onto the Eclipse's reinforced base with Barriss and Kota directly behind. Looking down the ships nose she easily spotted the lasting effects of Ace's bombing, while one of the Separatists ships continued towards them in a devastating assault its comrade floated helplessly with a giant plume of smoke rising from its rear. A strong chill rising up her body Ahsoka turned to her friends "I really don't like this plan".

Barriss took a few cautious steps away from the elevator as her gaze studied the two ships ahead of them "I agree with Ahsoka, we'll never be able to move something that massive".

With a determined look on his face Kota pushed passed both girls "we're Jedi, size means nothing. Without the engines to fight us this should be easy, just follow my lead". Taking his place in the middle of the two girls Master Kota closed his eyes, allowing a moment for Barriss and Ahsoka to do the same as he slowly brought both hands up towards the crippled star destroyer. For the first time since their meld was re-formed Barriss felt her abilities pushed to their limits, her legs buckling under her the second she focused her energy on the task at hand. The process of pushing the ship across the stars felt as though someone had dropped a building into her arms, plan or no she knew she could not take more than a minute of this pain.

Ahsoka did no better, the young Togruta let out a series of loud moans as she struggled to move her arms in unison with Master Kota. Just when both girls felt the power drained from their bodies the ear shattering sound of scraping metal filled their ears, with a loud sigh Barriss and Ahsoka feel to their knees as they looked at Master Kota's plan in action. The star destroyer that had been heading towards them now found itself encased in one giant explosion, slowly reduced to nothing more than falling debris as the damaged star destroyer plowed directly through it. Before long both ships began to fall out of the sky, making their way to Kashyyyk's ocean underneath them.

Fighting to regain her strength Barriss raised an eyebrow when Ahsoka started to laugh "what's so funny?".

"Grievous, big brave tinnie always runs away before we can get him". Sharing a small smile with her friend Barriss followed Ahsoka's gaze, sure enough Grievous' signature ship soared out of the falling ships docking bay and into the night sky. Blazing a trail through the few fighters still in the sky Grievous neglected what was an obvious escape route around the ships, instead barreling straight towards the Eclipse.

As the ship neared its target Master Kota narrowed his gaze "he's not running away, he's attacking. But why?, attacking a entire Jedi flagship by yourself. It's suicide".

"Master" her weak voice gaining the Jedi's attention immediately Barriss struggled to rise to her feet "I...don't think I have a fight in me Master...moving the star destroyer...it...it took all I had".

With a compassionate nod Kota turned his attention to Ahsoka, placing a hand on the girls shoulder when it was clear she was also in no condition to fight. "You two stay back, I don't know why Grievous is risking his life to attack but we can't take this situation lightly". Kota watched as both Barriss and Ahsoka slowly got to their feet and headed for the elevator, only activating his com-link when the doors of the elevator shut behind him. "Captain Ace, pull everyone back to the Eclipse. Barriss and Ahsoka are heading to the bridge as we speak, protect them at all costs".

"You got it sir, but what should we do about Grievous?". At the last of the Captains words Grievous' ship finally stopped directly above Master Kota.

Shielding his eyes from the wind Kota cast his glance upward, pulling the lightsaber from his back and igniting its green blade "you leave him to me, just keep the girls safe!". Before Ace could say anything more Kota switched off his com-link, taking a few steps back to prepare himself for the fight to come. With his eyes closed he heard Grievous' robotic feet slam against the Eclipses base, only opening them when the snap hiss of several lightsabers filled his ears. Forming a defensive stance Master Kota felt the stillness of the now silent night envelope him "Grievous, a shame we've just now had the chance to meet. I've heard so much about you, I imagine introductions won't be necessary?".

Grievous immediately found his grip against the fierce wind, taking a few steps closer to Kota as two arms separated into four. Pulling another pair of blue and green sabers from his waist Grievous ignited both blades "foolish Jedi!, you will not protect the padawans from their fate!".

A light grin crossed Kota's lips "droids, always so quick to divulge their mission. I won't let you harm them Grievous". Simply emitting a low growl in response Grievous began to spin his main set of sabers, sending a high pitch whine through the air as he slowly walked towards the Jedi Master. Kota took a few steps backward as the heat from the spinning blades neared ever closer, only jumping forward when a opening in the attack allowed him to block all four blades at once. The combined strength of Grievous' blades quickly overcoming his own Kota felt the sharp pain of a robotic foot hitting his chest.

Kota slammed against the elevator doors behind him, hitting the controls with his back as he slid to the ground. Fighting the darkness threatening to fill his vision the Jedi Master pulled himself to his feet as Grievous started for the open elevator, a strong force push sent the cyborg flying back as Kota regained his composure. "You're stronger than I expected, but I can't let you win droid" his words only resulting in a mad glare from General Grievous Kota deactivated his saber, placing the weapon back in its holster as he raised both arms into the air. Grievous seemed taken back by the strange action, letting his guard down for a split second before a loud lurch sent his gaze upward.

Grievous' ship dropped out of the sky before the cyborg had a chance to blink, a savage explosion filling Kota's view as the ship made contact with the nose of the Eclipse. Grievous quickly disappeared as the explosion engulfed his body, forcing Master Kota to sturdy his footing against the resulting shock wave. Before anymore time could pass Kota forced the smoke away with a wave of his hand, walking cautiously to the small crater where the ship had made contact. Sure he would see a pile of scrap in the epicenter what he instead found brought his heart to his throat, a freshly cut circle was sliced straight through the already weakened metal.

Cursing to himself Kota brought his com-link to his mouth "Grievous is in the ship!, I repeat _General Grievous_ is in the ship!. Spread out and find him before he reaches the bridge!".

^0^0^0^

Barriss and Ahsoka entered the bridge practically at a limp, their legs barely strong enough to drag them to the front of the large room. Both girls promptly sat down in front of the ships view port, throwing the entire room into an uncomfortable silence as they slowly recovered their strength. A number of minutes went by before a fearful yet familiar growl broke the silence, still not strong to enough to stand Ahsoka simply turned her head to find the source of the noise, a thin smile spreading over her lips as she did so. Chewbacca ran up the mostly empty bridge, causing the heads of the few militia still at their terminals to rise.

Chewbacca fell to one knee beside both girls, letting out a low growl as he put a furry hand on Ahsoka's forehead. Ahsoka's weak smile fought to widen at the expression on the wookiee's face "it's okay Chewie, we're not hurt, just exhausted".

Fighting the tiredness in her bones enough to prop her back against the nearest wall Barriss turned to face Chewbacca "it was sweet of you to want to check on us Chewbacca but you really shouldn't be here, your injuries need more time to heal". Chewbacca swiftly shook his head as he looked at the bandages wrapped around his chest, insisting he was fine in a low growl before standing back to his feet. As both girls continued to rest Kota's hectic voice rang through the intercom overhead "Grievous is in the ship!, I repeat _General Grievous_ is in the ship!. Spread out and find him before he reaches the bridge!".

"That's not good" Ahsoka said as she looked around the room, as Kota's voice continued to shout orders to almost every soldier in his militia several fully armed militia ran into the bridge, the first easily recognizable as Captain Ace.

Ace made his way to a weary Chewbacca, a light bow eased the wookiee enough to allow him passed. After a salute to both girls the militia Captain pulled the blaster rifle from his back "nothing to worry about Commanders, as we speak the entire ship is being searched, we'll find Grievous before he reaches the bridge". Turning back to the rest of the soldiers Ace stretched an arm towards the door leading out to the hall "seal that door!, no one else gets in until Grievous has been found!".

"Yes sir!" two soldiers broke off from the line and started down the bridge, only making it a few steps before the door met them half way. A loud crack resulted as the two soldiers flew backwards, slamming hard against the reinforced view port as Chewbacca ran forward. The wookiee warrior jumped over the line of soldiers and caught the flying door, digging his feet deep against the metal floor as he stopped just inches from the soldiers. Without missing a beat Chewbacca threw the door back to it's source, only to have it sliced in half as it disappeared into the smoke pouring into the room.

"What are you waiting for?, open fire!" at Ace's command the group of militia spread out across the bridge, each taking cover either behind a crate or against a wall before sending a line of blaster fire trailing into the receding smoke. As the smoke finally cleared Grievous ignited all four of his sabers, expertly blocking each incoming shot with the same demeanor a wookiee would swat flies.

The scene unfolding in front of her Ahsoka attempted to stand, only to have her legs fail her and Barriss Pull her back down "no Ahsoka, you're still too weak, we both are".

"We can't just sit here and do nothing!" once again Ahsoka pushed herself up, managing a single step before she fell back to the floor.

With a sympathetic look Barriss helped her friend back beside her "I don't like it either Ahsoka but we don't have a choice". Her eyes meeting Ahsoka's both girls nodded to one another before turning their attention back in front of them, huddling close together as a few of the militia's shots hit there mark, knocking two of Grievous' sabers from his hand. Grievous growled as he collapsed his arms back into two, eyes squinting in frustration as he swung his two remaining sabers at the incoming blaster shots, sending them back to their source. Barriss clenched her fist as the militia fell one by one, with only Captain Ace and Chewbacca left standing between the cyborg and his targets.

Captain Ace shared a short look with the wookiee warrior, a silent conversation taking place between the two combat veterans. As Chewbacca clipped his bowcaster to the back of his bandolier Ace kicked forward the crate he was using for cover, Grievous slashed at the crate coming at him from the left, only to be met with a powerful blow from his right as Chewbacca jumped forward. Both Grievous and Chewbacca flew backward, the cyborg hitting the ground with Chewbacca already forcing the sabers from both of his hands and snapping them into four useless pieces. Grievous struggled under the wookiee's tremendous force for a moment, long enough for Ace to throw his empty rifle to the ground and pull the pistol from his waist, before he managed to free a hand and strike Chewbacca with a strong blow to the stomach, directly on the bandages covering his wound.

A pain filled growl echoed through the bridge before Grievous tossed Chewbacca off of him, the wookiee warrior trying to fight through the pain as he helplessly watched the cyborg rise to his feet. Grievous took a few steps up the bridge when a blaster shot hit against the plate protecting his face, Ace walked out onto the middle of the bridge and pulled back on the trigger of his pistol, sending another shot straight at the cyborgs head. Grievous took a quick step back, a small crack began to spread on his face plate "look around you soldier!. You've lost!. Stand aside and I may spare your life!".

Captain Ace lowered his pistol for a moment "you attack my men, _kill_, my men!, and ask me to stand aside!". Once again raising his pistol Ace looked back at Barriss and Ahsoka, a range of emotions flashing through his eyes, before turning back to Grievous. Around his back Ace pulled a small item from his belt, wrapping it in his free hand as he took off at a run straight towards the surprised cyborg. As he neared Grievous raised a hand forward, grabbing the militia Captain by the neck and pulling his body into the air.

Grievous let out a triumphant laugh, reveling in his victory as he tightened his grip on Ace's neck. Ace made no attempt to fight back, didn't even struggle when he felt the wind ripped from his lungs, instead he simply cast his glance downward, mouthing four simple words as both he and Grievous looked at the thermal detonator in his hand "long live the Republic". Grievous' eyes widened as the explosion knocked him backwards, both him and Captain Ace flew across the bridge and slammed against the metal wall on either side. Ace's body hit the floor completely limp as both Barriss and Ahsoka looked on in horror, the bridges floor was now covered with bodies, a handful of militia soldiers, one wookiee knocked unconscious from the pain of his wound, and two still painfully weak girls.

As the smoke from the explosion cleared both girls hands instinctively went to their waists as they watched Grievous wearily pull himself back to his feet. Barriss felt her heart stop as she looked at the approaching cyborg, Grievous' face plate was cracked in half, barely covering the top portion of his face while his chest plate was completely exposed, showing a beating heart hard at work in his chest. Grievous moved forward, limping but still very much alive as he walked to the girls at the end of the bridge. Wasting no time he forced Ahsoka into the air by her neck and pulled one of the sabers from her waist.

"NO!" summoning what little strength she had Barriss jumped to her feet and pulled her lightsabers from her waist. Before she had a chance to retaliate Grievous ignited the green blade he had taken from Ahsoka, sending Barriss backward with one swipe, already blacked out from the pain as she hit the ground. With no change in his eyes as he looked at the girls limp body Grievous turned his attention back to Ahsoka, pulling the hidden blaster pistol from his waist and pushing its barrel against the girls stomach. Two blaster shots echoed through the empty bridge as Grievous dropped Ahsoka's body, carelessly letting it fall to the ground as he dropped the girls saber beside her body.

"Ahsoka!, Barriss!" already igniting his green blade Master Kota sprinted into the bridge, not even giving Grievous enough time to turn around before he plunged the weapons blade into the cyborgs back. Blood splattered against the ships view port as Kota's saber punctured Grievous' exposed heart, killing him almost instantly. Before the cyborgs body even had time to hit the ground Kota forced it to the side of the room, kneeling beside the bodies of both Barriss and Ahsoka as his militia began to pile into the room behind him. "Medic!, I need a medic over here now!".

^0^0^0^

_**Location Unknown **_

Dooku walked the pitch black hall leading to the small base his Sith lord used to meet with him, for him to be called here he knew something big was about to happen. Rarely did Lord Sidious risk his reputation as supreme Chancellor to meet with him, thinking back he was somewhat surprised to think it had been almost a year since their last face to face encounter. He had said before his plan for the clone wars was nearing its completion, perhaps he wished Dooku to finally lead an assault against the temple?. Just the thought forced a thin smile on Dooku's face, to finally show the Jedi the true power of the dark side, nothing would please him more.

As he neared the end of the long hallway Dooku opened the door ahead of him with a wave of his hand, somewhat confused as he entered yet another pitch black room, nothing but the shine of a holo-projector to catch his eye in the middle of the room. Taking a few steps forward he felt a blue light warm his face as Palpatine's hologrammed form appeared ahead of him "Darth Tyranus".

"Master" after a light bow Dooku looked around the small room "I thought we'd be meeting in person".

Sidious' face showed no sign of emotion "part of me did want to be there for this, unfortunately other matters have arisen that prevent me from witnessing the final step of my plan in person". Before Dooku could question his Masters words another presence in the room forced him to turn back to the door, in one fluid motion the saber was pulled from his belt and it's red blade ignited as it was plunged deep into his chest. Dooku's entire body went stiff as his mouth was covered by a gloved hand emerging from the darkness, all that was visible was the sheer hatred in his eyes as the life was drained from his body.

A hooded figure stepped out of the darkness as Dooku's lifeless body fell to the ground, bowing to the smiling face of Lord Sidious as it clicked Dooku's saber to its waist. "What is thy bidding?, my Master".

Sidious cast a quick glance down to his fallen apprentice, a wicked smile spreading on his face. "With Dooku out of the way my plan for the clone wars is nearing its conclusion, for now I want you to return to Corusant. Continue sending me what information you can from the Jedi temple, a few preparations are needed before your next mission".

"As you wish, Master" the hooded figure bowed once more as it turned back to the door, a flash of light from the holo-projector illuminating one completely scarred arm before it was quickly shoved back under the figures robe.


	21. The Ultimate Betrayel

_**A/N: A section of this chapter contains explicit sexual content and may not be suitable for all readers, the section will be marked M for mature readers only and skipping said section will not affect your understanding of the story. **_

_A new revenge!, after both suffering life threatening injuries during their mission on Kashyyyk padawans Barriss Offee and Ahsoka Tano are rushed back to Corusant by Jedi Master Rahm Kota. All the while Palpatine's secret Sith Apprentice works to finalize the last step of his Masters plan._

** Chapter 21: The Ultimate Betrayal **

"Ahsoka!" a cold sweat dripping from her face Barriss sat up quickly in her bed, only to feel herself forced back down by a pair of green skinned hands. Reluctantly laying back on the bed Barriss looked around at her surroundings, a row of glass windows across from her bed gave off a view of Corusant's skyscraper filled landscape, and she immediately recognized the room she was in as one of the medical treatments areas in the Jedi Temple. But it was the person setting at a chair by her bedside that confused her the most, a million questions running through her mind Barriss opened her mouth to speak.

"No Barriss, you're still too weak" with her best attempt at a compassionate smile Master Unduli placed a hand on Barriss forehead "what you need now is rest".

"What...what are you..." Barriss tried to speak, only to have her voice trail off to nothing but a light whisper.

Luminara ran a few fingers through the girls hair as she politely shushed her "you have a lot of questions". At a weak nod from Barriss Luminara smiled "as I'm sure you're well aware Grievous attacked both you and Ahsoka, I'm afraid before Master Kota was able to reach you he...well". Rather than explain Luminara pulled back lightly on the blanket covering Barriss' body. Although the arm Barriss rose in front of her face resembled her own she knew by the look on her former Masters face she was now looking at a cybernetic replacement.

When she was sure she would feel her heart jump Barriss surprised herself when instead she felt nothing, when Grievous had attacked her she was sure those would be her final moments. If she had to live with a cybernetic arm then so be it, put a glove over the hand to hide the fact that it was missing her tattoos and no one would know the difference, honestly things could have been way worse. Shaking her thoughts back into the present Barriss looked around the room, her heart skipping a few beats when she realized the remaining beds were empty.

"Ahsoka's still in surgery" Luminara explained, obviously reading the expression on Barriss' face. "Grievous shot her twice, both in the stomach. But you needn't worry, Ahsoka is very strong willed, she'll pull through". Barriss leaned her head back onto her pillow, taking a moment to absorb everything Luminara had just told her before her former Master rose from her seat. "Please try and get some rest, I'll be back in a while to check on you".

"Master wait" her words stopped Luminara inches from the door "what about Grievous?".

"Dead" Luminara stated simply, smiling as she started out the door "I'm sure Master Kota will tell you about it later, he hasn't stopped bragging since he arrived". Barriss attempted a small laugh as Luminara left the room, only succeeding in sending a small jolt of pain through her side. Now alone in the quiet room she leaned fully back on her bed, focusing on the warm sun shining in through the window as she closed her eyes.

^0^0^0^

Whether she was asleep a few minutes or half the day she didn't know, but by the time Barriss reopened her eyes the blinds had been pulled over the windows across from her, unsure of whether it was day or night she cast a curious glance around the room. Fighting the impulse to jump out of her bed when she laid eyes on Ahsoka, the young Togruta laid motionless in the bed next to her. Sitting on either side of the girls bed, oblivious to the fact Barriss was awake, Padme' and Anakin each sat in silence looking down at Ahsoka. When a slight movement caught her eye Padme' smiled over at Barriss "Ani".

Anakin turned in his seat, meeting Barriss' eyes as he rose from his seat to stand by her bedside. "We figured it'd be better to let you sleep" at a worried look from Barriss Anakin raised a hand in the air "she's gonna be fine, thankfully the shots missed anything vital".

"Your wookiee friend is okay too" Padme' added from across the room, keeping both her hands wrapped around Ahsoka's as the girl slept. From the look on her face Barriss could tell the Senator had been crying, although she decided it better not to call attention to the matter.

Instead she looked up at Anakin "and Captain Ace?".

Anakin simply met the girls eyes for a moment before setting down beside her bed. Barriss felt her heart sink as he let out a long sigh "Captain Ace...he gave his life trying to protect you two, if he hadn't done what he did I'm not sure you or Ahsoka would of made it back alive. He died a hero Barriss".

Padme' nodded solemnly from her seat across the room "because of his sacrifice Master Kota was able to finish off Grievous once and for all, and the war is that much closer to an end".

"I know...I just wish their would have been another way, I've watched too many people die over the years" leaving both Anakin and Padme' at a loss for words Barriss laid back in her bed, her world once again fading to black as she closed her eyes.

^0^0^0^

Barriss awoke the next morning with Master Unduli setting by her side, with her former Master keeping a hand ready to help she sat up on the bed and let her legs hang over the side. After a few deep breaths Barriss stood to her feet, immediately walking across the room and to Ahsoka's side. The rise and fall of the girls chest telling her Ahsoka was fast asleep Barriss simply leaned down and gently kissed her friends cheek. Well aware of Luminara standing silent behind her Barriss kept her gaze forward "there's still one more question".

"Yes...I know" Luminara moved around Ahsoka's bed and took a seat at the opposite side as Barriss did the same on her end. A few minutes of silence passed as both stared down at Ahsoka's sleeping form, after it was clear the girl would not wake from their voices Luminara looked across the bed. "First of all I wish to apologize for what I said at the council meeting, I let my personal feelings get the better of me and said some things that have haunted me ever since that day". Barriss simply sat in silence as she continued "there's something I've wanted to tell you for some time, something I should have told you from the very beginning".

"Master?" Barriss raised an eyebrow, the look on Luminara's face was not one she had ever seen her former Master make before, a look of sadness.

"When I first started my Jedi training I was not the person I am today, I was reckless, overconfident, I was everything a Jedi shouldn't be. But that all changed when I met her". As she looked to the floor Luminara reached inside a pocket on her robe, pulling out a small square piece of paper and handing it across the bed.

Still confused Barriss took the paper and unfolded it to reveal a picture of a blue skinned girl no older than herself, with bright yellow eyes and the unmistakable clothing of a Jedi Knight. Barriss studied the picture for a moment before the point Luminara was trying to get across finally sunk in. "Wait, you and this girl...".

"We did everything together, she taught me more about being a Jedi than my actual Master. Over time things just sort of...escalated". Looking at Ahsoka Luminara laughed to herself "neither of us had any idea what we were doing, we knew of course it was going against the code, but as timed passed that seemed to matter less and less. We lived in secret for years, hiding our relationship from everyone at the temple".

Something in her gut told Barriss she knew where this story was headed but she forced herself to speak anyway "what happened to her Master?".

Luminara sat in silence for a moment before answering, her voice barely audible "We got sent on separate missions not long after I earned my Knighthood...something happened and...well you know".

Barriss looked back to the picture in her hand "you loved her?".

"I still do" Luminara stretched an arm across the bed as Barriss handed her the picture, quickly refolding it and putting it back in her pocket. "I almost left the order when she died, I packed up everything I had with full intention of leaving the temple and never coming back".

"What changed your mind?".

"I got as far as the main entrance when I realized I couldn't leave, not because I'd be leaving the order, but because I'd be leaving the very thing that had given me the one person I truly loved. Most Jedi go through their day to day putting blind faith in the order, constantly asking themselves what the code would dictate they do next. Ever since that fateful day, I ask myself not what the code would have me do". Trying unsuccessfully to hide the strain in her voice Luminara placed a hand over her pocket "but what would _she_ have done in my situation".

A million questions entered Barriss mind, but one look at her former Master told her now was not the time. Without any words of comfort coming to mind she simply sat still as Luminara rose from her seat, stopping just short of the door. "If you'll still have me, I'd be honored to be there during your Knighting ceremony". Before Barriss had the chance to answer Master Unduli left the room, closing the door behind her and leaving the girl with nothing but her thoughts as she sat by Ahsoka's side.

^0^0^0^

Once again Barriss lost complete track of time as the day went by, determined never to leave her friends side until she woke up. The sun slowly setting outside the window a soft moan almost caused Barriss to fall from her seat, regaining her balance just as Ahsoka's eyes began to open. Ahsoka eyes scanned the room the second they were open, quickly settling on the girl staring down at her. Although the color was still drained from her face Barriss had never seen Ahsoka look more beautiful than in that moment, when a thin smile crossed her lips "hey there".

Barriss couldn't help but laugh "hey, how are you feeling?".

Even as she spoke Ahsoka's eyes seemed somewhat distant, as if it was taking all her strength just to concentrate on the moment at hand. "Grievous shot me, how am I still alive?".

"From what Anakin said the laser shots passed right through you, missing anything they didn't have the technology to replace".

"Huh" Ahsoka said, already closing her eyes "tell Skyguy not to spend all his time worrying about me, you know how he gets".

Barriss nodded as she leaned down, gently kissing the girls forehead "I'll tell him, get some rest". As Ahsoka laid her head back and fell asleep almost instantly Barriss finally rose from her chair and headed for the door, giving her friend one last look before leaving her to rest.

^0^0^0^

Barriss stepped out into the hall only to be met with the leaning form of her Master, Anakin stood directly across the hall with his eyes stone set on the door in front of him. A warm smile spreading on her face Barriss moved to stand beside her Master "Ahsoka woke up, only for a minute but she seemed to be fine, I'm supposed to tell you to stop worrying about her".

Although it was clear by the look on his face Anakin had been at this very spot most of the day he did manage a solid grin "she knows me too well, she really seemed alright?".

"She's still very much herself, trust me Master" leaning against the wall beside Anakin Barriss felt her heart drop, after all this time she knew there was still one more difficult conversation to be had. With a soft sigh she turned to face her Master "Master, I must say this time under your tutelage has been some of the most memorable time in my life, it's truly been...".

Anakin raised a hand for her to stop "you wish for Master Unduli to cut your braid should you pass the trials?".

"Yes Master".

"I suspected as much" Anakin fell to his knee to meet Barriss' eyes "its been...ha...well its been one hell of a wild ride, but you deserve to be Knighted by the one who trained you all these years, I'll tell her tomorrow Raven". Barriss found herself at a loss for words, she had expected to at least explain her reasoning for the decision before Anakin gave in. But, as she had learned so many times in the past, the man she know looked at was not the same Jedi she had heard stories about growing up in the temple. It had taken some time for her to comes to grip with it but simply put the man in those stories did not exist, in his place was a man more kindhearted than any she'd ever had the good fortune to meet.

She understood fully know why the force would chose this soul to fulfill the prophecy, whether he believed it or not Barriss knew she was now looking at the man who would bring balance to the force. Without any other way to thank him Barriss quickly hugged her Master before starting down the hall, rounding the first corner as Anakin disappeared into the door leading into the medical bay. Her spirits strangely high Barriss started to walk the marble floor halls of the Jedi temple as she had done for most of her life, no real destination in mind as she stretched her bedsore legs. As she rounded the corner to the Council chamber, the one place she knew would empty this time of night, a strange presence in the force caused her steps to quicken.

Opening the large doors with a wave of her hand she stepped inside the moonlit chamber, her eyes immediately drawn to a lone figure standing by the windows at the back of the room. Rather than surprise the poor boy Barriss stooped halfway into the room "James?, I didn't expect you to be at the temple this late". James never turned his gaze, leaving his back to Barriss as he looked out at the night sky ahead of him. The boy wore a dark robe almost resembling those worn by the Jedi, although the burn mark going up the length of his right arm was still clearly visible as his hands were held clasped behind his back.

His voice noticeably calm James finally spoke "Barriss, good to see you up, sorry I haven't been to see you these past few days, how's Ahsoka doing?".

"Jedi are notorious for their resilience, she'll be back on her feet in no time". Taking a few steps closer something about the feel in the room forced Barriss to stop just short of James' side, the strange force presence grew stronger with each passing second but she still found herself unable to place it. "So what are you doing up here this late?, is your mother not doing well?".

"No actually she's doing quite well, despite everything she still thinks what happened was not my fault, and lately I've begun to see that she's right".

"Really, well that's great James" shaking the foolish fears from her mind Barriss moved forward and placed her hand on the boys shoulder "there was no way you could of prevented what happened".

"The universe is a dangerous place" James agreed "you'd think having an entire temple full of peacekeepers would help".

Despite herself Barriss was taken by surprise at the tone in James' voice "you surely don't blame the Jedi for what happened?".

Shoving her hand away with surprising force James kept his gaze out the window "I'm simply putting the facts together Barriss. The Jedi say they're here to protect the galaxy but nothing I've seen leads me to believe that, I mean how many criminals still run loose all over the galaxy?, how many gangs still terrorize the streets of Corusant?, what are the Jedi doing to stop them Barriss?".

Barriss took a few steps back "James we can't be everywhere at once, in case you forgot there is a _war_ going on".

"A war the Jedi started!" James shot back, raising his voice enough to echo through the chamber. "And it's not just this war!, every major conflict in the last_ thousand years _has involved the Jedi in some way!, did you know that Barriss?".

"Yes James I did!" realizing she had raised her own voice Barriss took a few deep breaths before speaking again. "The Jedi risk their lives a million times over to see that as many conflicts as possible come to a peaceful solution, the work we do may not always be pretty, but I don't see anyone else in the galaxy raising their hands to help us".

James kept his back turned, simply shrugging off Barriss' words quick as she could say them. "But that's just it Barriss, what if I told you someone in the galaxy did have a solution?, a way to ensure peace is kept across the galaxy at all times".

"James, why won't you look at me?" her words gaining no response she took a few more steps forward. James?, look at me". Before the boy could react Barriss gripped the side of his robe, pulling his body around to face her. Barriss felt her heart drop as she stepped backward, almost falling to the ground as the strength was ripped from her legs. Under the dark robe James was clad completely in a dark red shirt and pants, the outfit covered by jet black armor plates on the boys chest and shoulders.

But worst of all were the two weapons strapped to the boys waist, although she recognized each as the silver hilts of a lightsaber the saber on the boys left side was unmistakable in design, bearing the curved hilt design only used by Count Dooku. Quickly jumping back Barriss pulled her sabers from her belt, igniting both blue blades as she fought to accept the new situation she was in. "No, no James please not you, it can't be you".

James simply smiled at the girls actions, keeping an oddly calm demeanor with Barriss' sabers only inches from his body. "Why not me Barriss?, honestly I can't believe none of you sensed it all this time, although I guess the pretty ones are never that smart".

"James how could you?, you'd turn your back on the Republic!, on your friends!".

Chuckling softly to himself James switched his gaze back to the view outside "put your weapons away Barriss, I'm not going to fight you, and we both know your code prevents you from simply killing me".

Barriss took a minute to consider her options before reluctantly deactivating her sabers, a small grin on his face James nodded his head. "Good girl, now I was never one for overly climatic speeches so I'll make a long story short. After my mom was put in the hospital I went looking for someone, anyone who could help, well I found someone, not someone who could help right that second mind you, but someone who's long term goal would finally provide everyone I cared about with the safe galaxy they deserved".

"The Sith Lord" Barriss guessed, her heart hollow as she looked at her former friend.

"So easy to find when you're not looking for him, he's been setting right under your nose for years now, but yeah that's who it was. Unlike you and your clueless Jedi council he saw the power sitting idle within me, and offered to help me bring that power to life, how do say no to an offer like that?".

Shaking his head James turned to Barriss, slowly running his eyes up and down the girls body. "I really did enjoy your friendship Barriss, a shame it has to end before anything...meaningful...could come from it". Sending a cold shiver down the girls body James placed a single hand on the glass behind him, shattering it to pieces and allowing the crisp night air to pour into the room.

Still facing Barriss the boy took a few steps backward towards the open area, reaching an arm forward and pulling the surprised girl in close before she could blink. Pushing their lips together Barriss fought back the bile in her throat as James forced his tongue into her mouth, quickly pulling back and throwing the girl to the floor as he wiped his mouth with a small grin. "Funny, not what I expected you'd taste like". By the time Barriss pulled herself back to her feet James was already falling backward, his feet leaving the chamber floor as he disappeared into Corusant's night sky. Barriss ran to the floors edge, clenching her fists as a mix of emotions stronger than any she'd felt before filled her body.

Feeling the night air blow her bangs into her face Barriss wiped a few stray tears from her eyes before spitting on the floor beside her, pulling herself together long enough to raise her com-link to her mouth "Master, gather the council. We've got a problem".

^0^0^0^

The sun had just started to rise in the distance when the entire council finally assembled in the chamber, consisting of not only the usual assortment of Jedi Masters but the hologrammed forms of those who were currently away on a mission. For the first time in her life Barriss felt nothing when the many pairs of eyes focused solely on her, after a short bow to the many Masters she moved into the middle of the room. "For years many of us have fought to see the Separatist leader Count Dooku brought to justice, sadly it seems that day will never come". Her words only drawing a confused look from the council Barriss decided for a more direct approach "Count Dooku is dead, I don't know how, and I don't why, but I know for a fact he no longer lives".

As revelations usually did when presented to the council her words drew only silence, the feel in the room shifting dramatically as the Masters took in this new information. Before anyone could speak Barriss cleared her throat "I'm afraid there's more, it appears whoever Dooku's Master was has taken on a new apprentice, in James Clever".

As the room once again fell into silence Anakin moved forward from his spot by the door, placing a comforting hand on the girls shoulder. It was Master Yoda who finally broke the silence "disturbing, this news is. Worked for us for some time, this boy has".

"There's no telling what kind of information he got his hands on" Master Windu added "you're sure about this Padawan Offee?, for this boy to be so close for this long and none of us to sense his intentions, he must be _incredibly_ powerful in the force".

"I'm sure Master" still shivering a bit Barriss fought the desire to spit once again "although he did let slip that his Master has been living directly under us for some time".

Master Unduli leaned forward in her seat "you mean a Sith Lord could be living right here on Corusant, surely we would of sensed such a disturbance?".

"Clouded by the dark side, the force, has been" Yoda answered "easy it would be, for a Sith to mask his force presence from us".

"Masters, if I may?" as she was quickly met with the patient gaze of every Master on the council Barriss took a moment to consider her words. "We need to get on James' trail before it goes cold, if he's still on Corusant he may lead us right to his Master".

"Sounds like you'll need some help" turning every head in the room Ahsoka walked gracefully into the chamber, taking her place at Barriss' side with a slight bow to the council. "We're the reason James was even allowed in the temple, this is _our_ problem, not the councils, we'll take care of it".

Master Yoda nodded from his seat "proven your loyalty to the council many times over, both of you have. But order two padawans to hunt down a Sith, the council can not. Please young ones, kneel".

Barriss took a quick step backwards, surely she had misinterpreted Master Yoda's words. "Wait...just like that?, what about the day of meditation?, the trials?".

Master Kota cleared his throat from his spot at the back of the room "Barriss, I believe Master Yoda asked you to kneel".

^0^0^0^

Both Barriss and Ahsoka fell to one knee in the middle of the chamber, hiding the mix of emotions going through them in a somber expression. One by one the Masters formed a circle around the two girls, with Master Unduli and Anakin taking their respective places behind their padawans. Barriss kept her eyes focused solely on the floor, as did Ahsoka, both girls using the force to make sure they never moved an inch from their position. And yet, even during her own Knighthood, Barriss found it impossible to focus on herself.

James had been the first person, beside Ahsoka of course, she had the pleasure of calling a friend. Had all that been a lie?, the pick up attempt, the fact that it was his speeder she had fallen into that night, thinking back it all did seem a bit convenient. But even though she never would of guessed the true nature of the boys actions, she _had _sensedthe emotions inside James the many times they were together, the way his heart skipped when she hugged him, the color draining from his face when she and Ahsoka had kissed in front of him, surely all of it couldn't have been a lie. Not to mention the kiss, James had always been a rather _perverted_ individual, but to physically force himself on her was not something she had ever thought the boy of doing, certainly not the same boy that spoke in her and Ahsoka's defense at the trial only a few days ago.

'_No_' she thought to herself, the boy she had befriended was not the same person she spoke to last night. The James she knew was long gone, twisted by the power of the dark side into something...something she had to stop. Her thoughts forced back into the present Barriss kept her gaze low as the circle of Jedi Masters around her began to speak in perfect unison. "There is no emotion...there is peace. There is no ignorance...there is knowledge. There is no passion...there is serenity. There is no chaos...there is harmony. There is no death...there is the force".

Barriss held her breath as she felt the warm blade of Master Unduli's lightsaber pass by the back of her neck, singing the padawan braid from her hair as Anakin did the same to the silver chain hanging from Ahsoka's lekku. Both Luminara and Anakin took a step back as Master Yoda moved from his spot in the circle to stand in front of both girls, switching his gaze first to Barriss. "Rise, Jedi Knight Barriss Offee" the smile no longer held back on her face Barriss did what was asked of her, bowing to Master Yoda as he turned to Ahsoka. "Rise, Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano" Ahsoka stood to her full height, unable to hide the brightened color of her lekku.

^0^0^0^

Jedi Knights Barriss Offee and Ahsoka Tano stepped side by side into their quarters, although it resembled Anakin's quarters to the smallest detail, the small living room/kitchen leading to a short hallway that housed two bedrooms and a refresher could not have felt more different. Shrugging the thought away Barriss moved to the couch and sat down "this will take some getting used to, having our own private quarters I mean".

Ahsoka stepped forward with the same smile that she'd worn since they had exited the chamber, taking her friend by surprise as she jumped towards the couch, landing almost directly on Barriss' lap and erupting into a fit of laughter more suitable for someone half her age. Barriss could help but share in her friends laughter "someone feelings better".

"I'm a fast healer" Ahsoka's laughter quickly died down as she climbed off her friends lap "so...did you want to talk about James?".

The smile faded from Barriss' face "while I was waiting for the council to assemble I had quite a while to think, I know for a fact James was sincere in his friendship with us, but at this point that really doesn't matter".

"Doesn't it, I mean people have come back from the dark side before, maybe we could...".

Barriss quickly shook her head "don't Ahsoka, you weren't there, you didn't see the look in eyes when he mentioned the Jedi, you weren't there when he...". Barriss took a moment to meet Ahsoka's eyes "the James we knew is dead Ahsoka". Before either girl could say anything more the door leading into their quarters swished open, Barriss and Ahsoka both stood to their feet as Anakin and Luminara entered.

Anakin took a quick look around his surroundings "wouldn't kill them to make each Jedi's quarters a _little_ different".

Master Unduli simply rolled her eyes, pushing past Anakin and respectively bowing to both Barriss and Ahsoka. "We came to see if you had a plan regarding this new Sith?".

Barriss nodded "before he left the temple last night I sensed...something, anyway I can still feel it, as long as James doesn't leave the planet I should be able to track him down".

Master Unduli bowed once more, elbowing Anakin to make him do the same before turning for the door. "We won't keep you, just let us know if there's anything we can do to help, we're ready to act at a moments notice".

With a polite nod Barriss smiled as the two Jedi walked back out the door, turning to face Ahsoka only to have the girl walk passed her, stopping by the door and turning the lock the young Togruta met her friends confused eyes. Ahsoka took a few quick steps forward and grabbed Barriss' hand, pulling the girl back the hall without a word to explain her actions.

^0^0^0^

_**Section Rating: M**_

Her heart racing like never before Barriss felt her back hit the door of the bedroom, a small shiver forcing her pores to stand on end as Ahsoka rushed forward, grabbing Barriss' face with both hands and pushing their lips together. Barriss clenched her fists for a moment, quickly shaking the sensation away and reminding herself of the reality of the situation as a warm tongue met her own, the two tongues wrapping around one another for a split second before Ahsoka pulled back. The young Togruta shared a short smile with her friend before leaning back in, gently kissing Barriss' neck and sending another strong sensation down the girls body. Before she could stop herself Barriss let her hand raise from its spot on Ahsoka's waist, cupping the girls left breast as her free hand began to untie the back of her robes.

Ahsoka's robes floated to the floor, swiftly kicked to the side of the room as Ahsoka wrapped both hands around Barriss' waist and guided her to the bed. Barriss closed her eyes as her back hit the bed, doing a honorable job of holding back a wide smile as Ahsoka climbed on top of her. Endless ripples of pleasure snaking their way down her body Barriss gripped the blanket under her firmly, a small laugh escaping her when Ahsoka unzipped the black robe behind her back and, a bit roughly, ripped the clothing from her body. Barriss' mind quickly raced back to the first moment she had disrobed in front of Ahsoka, back then the young Togruta had not only hidden her gaze from the sight, but had held back a slightly embarrassed expression from her face when all was said and done.

This moment though was entirely different, the girl now lying on top of her was simply not the same one she had first met on Geonosis. It had taken all their adventures together, this entire journey to discover their true feelings for one another, but now Barriss looked up to the half naked girl on top of her with no hint of embarrassment, not a single trace of unease, or even a tremble at her touch. Even the familiar chill that she had grown used to over the past weeks ceased to exist, replaced instead by a warm sensation that spread over every inch of her body, one that seemed to increase the heat in the room itself and only intensified with each passing second. After all this time Barriss knew without a doubt she would never feel any hint of remorse over her relationship with Ahsoka, looking up at the girls smiling face was enough for her to finally realize they had at last become completely comfortable with each other, enough so that even this moment between them felt entirely natural, and more right than any other moment in their lives.

It was then a feeling began to wash over Barriss, one more intense, frightening, and unbearably comforting than any she had experienced before. Any words she could of thought of saying were ripped from her throat, her mind a blank as the world began to fade around her, much as it had on the Senates roof so long ago. Biting down hard on her bottom lip Barriss once again closed her eyes, she had no idea what Ahsoka was doing, frankly she didn't care, as long she didn't quit anytime soon. The strange feeling doubled in intensity as she felt the panties pulled from her legs, tearing a few rips in the blanket under her as her body arched back on contact with a new presence.

As the minutes rolled by Barriss was sure she'd let out a few loud moans, equally in pleasure and pain as she lost all control of her body to the strange feeling. Her limbs now basically acting on instinct Barriss moved her somewhat stiff arms downward on the girl on top of her, gracefully placing a hand under Ahsoka's panties and gaining an ear splitting moan from the young Togruta at her next action. At the exact same moment both girls had the air stolen from their lungs, arching back in one final simultaneous thrust before collapsing side by side on the bed. Barriss shared a smile with Ahsoka, leaning in for a quick kiss before the lack of energy put both girls to sleep almost instantly.

^0^0^0^

Barriss woke up the next morning to Ahsoka's body shifting beside her in the bed, smiling as she kissed the girls cheek she rose from the bed as quietly as she could. After floating both her Jedi robes and a hairbrush to her hand she exited the bedroom and made her way down the hall and into their living room, running the brush through her hair with some help from the force as she slipped on her robe. Walking to the end of the small room she stared silently out the window, her eyes scanning the sun filled view of Corusant before a glare from the kitchen table caught her eye. Barriss raised an eyebrow as she walked to the table, picking up a small holo-pad setting on top of a black box she began to read the contents of the holo-pad.

_Barriss, unfortunately a distress call on Christophsis has prevented me from giving you this in person, but seeing as it's customary for a Master to pass something on to their padawan after they're Knighted I figured it was time to finally let go of a memory I've kept to myself for years now. The choice is yours of what to do with it, but if you do chose to use it for its intended purpose I only ask you do so with the respect it deserves. You've grown into the Jedi I've always known you would Barriss, my only regret is that it's taken me this long to be entirely truthful with you. There's no doubt in my mind you'll sit beside me on the council one day, until then please accept this offering, it's all I have left of her. Luminara._

Setting the holo-pad down Barriss pulled the top off the box underneath, a short gasp escaping her lips as she pulled the contents from the box and held them in front of her. "I may never be the Jedi she was Master, but I'll try my best".

_**A Few Minutes Later**_

Taking a minute examine herself in the mirror Barriss took one last look at her old Jedi robes before tossing them in the trash beside her. In their place was a pair of golden metallic boots leading half way up her legs, the surprisingly light boots ended just short of her ankles. Covering the remaining length of her legs was a light grey pair of pants, complete with a gold colored belt and matching stripe going up the side of both legs. Connected to the pants was a long sleeved shirt, the same pure grey as the girls pants and leading to the last new item of her outfit.

Flowing freely from the girls back was a golden cape around the same size as her old one, with the unmistakable icon of the Republic stitched in dark red at the capes base. As she was just about to exit the spare bedroom in her quarters Barriss felt a slight weight in the pocket of her new robe, stopping just inches from the door she pulled two sparkling saber crystals from her pocket "these must of belonged to her too". Knowing full well Ahsoka would wake up any minute now she moved to the middle of the bedrooms floor and sat down, quickly floating both of her paired sabers in front of her and mentally stripping both weapons. In a matter of seconds she placed her old saber crystals in her pocket and rose to her feet, fighting back more than a bit of anticipation as she ignited both her sabers.

Barriss let a small grin cross her face as a green blade sprung forth from both of her sabers, the bright blades illuminating the already lit room and forcing the girl to strain her eyes as they adjusted to the harsh light. A slight swish from the hallway telling her Ahsoka was up Barriss gave her new robes one last look in the mirror and exited the door with a wave of her hand. Finding the young Togruta studying the black box on their table with a suspicious stare Barriss cleared her throat in the middle of the hallway, a smile growing wide on her face at the look she got from an awestruck Ahsoka. As she stepped passed Ahsoka and into the living room Barriss sat down on the couch, taking utter delight in the fact that the young Togruta found herself at a loss for words.

Finally pulling herself together Ahsoka took a few steps into the living room "Barriss, you look amazing!. Where did you...".

"A gift from Master Unduli" Barriss explained "they belonged to someone very close to her".

Ahsoka joined her friend on the couch, running a hand up the golden fabric of her cape and playfully pulling the capes hood over Barriss' head. With a light laugh she met her friends eyes "what do you mean by that?".

"Lets just say I had more in common with my former Master than I thought, what we really need to be focusing on is tracking down our old friend. James is just as smart as any Jedi and he's got half a days lead on us, he won't be easy to find".

"Then we should probably get going" Ahsoka rose from her seat, giving Barriss one last look before she started to the door waving for her friend to follow.

^0^0^0^

As the two Jedi Knights neared the large open entrance to the temple the faint sound of footsteps hitting the marble floor behind them forced both girls to turn. Anakin came to a stop in front of them, taking a moment to catch his breath before raising an eyebrow in Barriss' direction. "Barriss, not that you don't look great but those are Master Sira's robes, how did you get them?".

Barriss took a quick step back "Master Sira!, I...I had no idea, these were a gift from Master Unduli".

"Whoa, slow down you two, who's Master Sira?" Ahsoka asked.

Anakin simply pointed to the side wall of the temples entrance where a row of bronze statues lined the wall, each depicting one of the many influential Jedi who had helped shaped the order into what it was today. As all three Jedi took a few steps closer Barriss instantly recognized the pattern of her robes on the statue closest to the temples entrance, worn by the same Pantoran woman in the picture Luminara had shown her. As both Barriss and Ahsoka looked up at the statue Anakin read the engraving on its base "Master Yeni Sira, the savior of Pantora, may her sacrifice never be forgotten".

Ahsoka looked to her former Master "savior of Pantora, what exactly did she do?".

Before Anakin could answer Barriss spoke up "Pantora was in the middle of a devastating civil war, she planned to make a speech at the planets capital, try and convince both sides to consider a peaceful solution, but she was killed before ever reaching the planet. The death of a Jedi Master was enough to shock both sides into meeting, a treaty was signed two days after her death". Gaining a blank look from both her friends Barriss looked back to the statue "Master Unduli must of told me that story a hundred times, I can't believe I didn't recognize her in the picture".

The words slipping out before she could stop them Barriss held her breath for a few seconds, letting out a sigh of relief as Ahsoka stepped forward before Anakin could put the pieces together. "So Skyguy, was their a reason you were looking for us?".

"Oh...oh yeah" Anakin put a hand on Ahsoka's shoulder, leading the girl to the opposite side of the room as Barriss continued to stare at Master Sira's statue. "Ahsoka...there's something I want you to have" before the confused girl could say anything Anakin put a hand in his robes pocket, pulling out a gold ring and wrapping it in his fist. "When my mother was taken from me...her husband gave this to me to remember her. This ring has been with me every second of my life since that day, it took a while but I think I'm ready to let it go, we want you to have it".

"We?".

Anakin shook his head "sorry, _I_ want to have it".

Before the young Togruta could offer any words of protest Anakin dropped the ring in the girls hand. Ahsoka eyes quickly went wide "this is an _engagement_ ring".

"You never know what the future holds Snips, look I can't tell you what to do with it but just promise me you'll take good care of it".

Ahsoka met Anakin's eyes and bowed to her former Master "of course Skyguy, and thank you, not just for the ring either, for everything".

"Well, true most of your skills are just _stolen_ from me" Anakin said with a sly grin "but all this, the fact that this...". Anakin pointed to the silver padawan braid hanging from belt, gaining a wide smile from Ahsoka as he continued. "No longer hangs from your head, that's all because of _you_, not me". Ahsoka looked at the ring in her hand, clasping her hands around it and sharing a respectful bow with her Master before Anakin turned and headed back into the temple.

Finally pulling herself away from the statue Barriss walked across the room to her friend "so what did Anakin want?".

Ahsoka almost jumped to the ceiling as she stuffed the ring in her pocket "what?...uh nothing really, so we should get started don't ya think?". Barriss simply shrugged as Ahsoka rushed passed her, running to catch up as they started down the steps leading away from the temple. Once they stepped onto the first walkway Ahsoka turned to her friend "we do have have a plan right?".

Barriss nodded as she looked down the crowded walkway "I can still sense James so he hasn't left the planet, all we have to do is track him down, capture him, and find a way to make him tell us who his Master is. After that we find this Sith Lord, and put an end to the war once and for all".


	22. Order 66

_A prophecy rewritten!, having turned his back on the Republic and the Jedi James Clever meets secretly with his Master to plan his next move for the end of the clone wars. Meanwhile newly crowned Jedi Knights Barriss Offee and Ahsoka Tano search the streets of Corusant in hope of stopping their old friend, but unknown to either one James' treachery is only the beginning of their problems._

**Chapter 22: Order 66**

Barriss and Ahsoka walked in silence through the endless maze of Corusant's market district, trying their best to politely push by group after group of people. Each girls eyes expertly taking in every movement around them as their ears (montrals) were filled with the inane chatter of a planet constantly on the move. As Barriss knew she would Ahsoka didn't stay quiet for very long, causing a small smile to spread on Barriss' face as the young Togruta spoke up. "Barriss, do you really believe there's no hope of turning James?".

Along with a deep sigh Barriss pulled the golden hood down from her head, running a hand through her hair as she met her friends eyes. "Ahsoka I know this is hard to take in, and believe me if I thought there was even _a_ _chance_ at saving James, well I'd do everything in my power to see that happen, but we have to be realistic about this". As both girls neared the end of the walkway Barriss nodded courteously to a pair of blue skinned twi-leks, with a thin smile the two female twi-leks stepped to the side and allows both her and Ahsoka to pass. Finally leaning forward on the walkways end railing Barriss looked out to the Senate building in the distance, doing her best to force a smile as Ahsoka moved to stand beside her.

Once again meeting the young Togruta's crystal clear blue eyes was enough to make her heart sink, how Ahsoka managed to keep a look of pure innocence after everything they've been though she'd never know. Barriss slid her hand on the rail in front of her, resting it on Ahsoka's and giving the girl a compassionate glance before speaking. "Not everyone can be saved Ahsoka, sometimes for peace to be kept people _have_ to die". At the last of her words Ahsoka turned away from her gaze, focusing instead on the view in front of them for a number of minutes of silence.

Just when Barriss thought to speak up again Ahsoka raised a hand to her neck, gently pulling the necklace James had given her off her neck and throwing it over the railing with a hint of pain on her face. Another few minutes followed before Ahsoka spoke up "do you think we should visit James' mother?, even if she doesn't know where he is I think she has a right to know what's going on".

"I was hoping we could leave her out of this till it's over" Barriss admitted halfheartedly "but it's getting harder and harder to keep hold of James' force presence, perhaps it is time we...". Ahsoka felt her heart beat increase dramatically as the sound of her friends voice left her montrals, the world fading into darkness as a sound she had hoped never to hear again reverberated around her. Now looking in every direction to see only an endless see of black Ahsoka moved a confused hand to her main saber as a series of deep mechanical breaths sent a shiver down her spine. Lighting her sabers green blade did nothing to light the area around her, only succeeding in forcing her to take a quick step backwards as a form approached slowly her from out of the darkness.

Covered head to toe in armor noticeably blacker than even the shadows surrounding her the form gripped a lightsabers from its waist and ignited a blood red blade, immediately rising its blade into the air and bringing it down with enough force to shake the ground under their feet. Ahsoka's legs buckled the second she blocked the attack, the strength ripped from her legs she fell to her knees in front of the figure. "What is thy bidding?, my Master" the words left her lips before she even realized what she was saying, as if they were almost forced out of her by the figure looming in front of her. With the will to fight back now gone Ahsoka deactivated her saber and, only half in control of her actions, handed it to the black figure.

Ahsoka turned her gaze as the figure clenched his fist, shattering her saber to pieces as he raised his own up for one final strike. Closing her eyes Ahsoka's heart went hollow, unable to focus on anything but the feeling she knew was soon approaching. "It does not have to end this way young Jedi". The voice forcing her to reopen her eyes Ahsoka looked back to the figure in front of her, gone was the mechanical Sith she thought would bring her end, replaced instead a figure equally confusing, although instantly recognizable. The elderly man in front of her helped Ahsoka to her feet, gaining a respectful bow from the confused young Togruta.

The Father shared the girls bow, afterwords clasping his hands behind his robe and meeting Ahsoka's eyes. After a quick look to her waist to see both her sabers safe and sound Ahsoka spoke "please Father, who was that man?".

The Fathers eyes shown no hint of emotion as he spoke, his voice echoing around every inch of the darkness. "The man you saw is your future Ahsoka, but only one of many futures available to you at this time". When it was clear he had only further confused Ahsoka the Father continued "when the chosen one let you discover your feelings for your sister Jedi he unknowingly gave the universe one final chance to avoid its true destiny, the same destiny I'm afraid I must now show to you". Before she could question the mans words the Father took a single step forward, placing the tip of his index finger square on Ahsoka's forehead.

What followed Ahsoka knew she never forget even after she became one with the force, a series of flashes so vivid, so real she felt as though they enveloped her very soul. The first of which forced her entire body to become drenched in sweat and the strong taste of what she could only describe as ash to fill her mouth, a flooding of tears she was too weak to push out filled her eyes as she looked at the image of her former Master standing only inches above a pool of lava. The look in her Masters eyes was one she had seen all too often, a look of a fury she knew Anakin had struggled with the past few years, but this time the small amount of self control that usually held the Jedi Knight at bay was gone, allowing the fury to take over every inch of his body, filling even his eyes with a dark yellow essence that made Ahsoka's pores stand on end. With his lightsaber drawn Anakin looked above him with a wicked smile, forcing Ahsoka's gaze to switch from him to the other Jedi standing only a few feet away on a small black hill.

Obi-Wan's face shown one of a man at his final moments, no emotion depicted in his eyes as he looked down at his former apprentice. "It's over Anakin!, I have the high ground!".

The smile on Anakin's face only grew at Obi-Wan's words "you underestimate my power!".

Obi-Wan raised his saber in front of his chest "don't try it!".

Ahsoka willed her eyes to close as Anakin jumped into the air to no avail, all she do was watch as the Master she had grown to love was cut down by Obi-Wan's saber, his body cut in half at the waist as he rolled back down the hill, filling Ahsoka's montrals with an agonizing scream of both pain and hatred. A few loose tears fell from Obi-Wan's eyes as he deactivated his saber "you were the chosen one!, it was said that you would destroy the Sith not join them!. Bring balance to the force!, not leave it in darkness!".

Every bone in her body rigid Ahsoka lost all feeling, focused only on the sight in front of her as Anakin helplessly crawled his way away from the flowing lave behind him. "I hate you!".

"You were my brother Anakin!...I loved you!". _'Please Father, I can't watch anymore!, I'm begging you!'_ just as Ahsoka was sure her heart would stop beating the vision in front of her began to dissipate, replaced with a series of quick flashes no easier to take in. Ahsoka fell to her knees as she watched the scenes go by in horror, Padme' losing the will to live as she gave birth to two children, decades of suffering as what was left of her Master hunted down and slaughtered any Jedi he could find, a man stronger in the force than any she'd felt before kneeling before her Master as countless Jedi fell by his blade, and finally the combined cries of millions as an entire planet was reduced to nothing by a power she knew had to be impossible._ 'Enough!, you have to make it stop!, please make it stop!"_.

Once again helped to her feet by the Father Ahsoka found herself uncontrollably happy to be surrounded by darkness, with a solemn expression the Father began to speak. "Without your help the chosen one _will_ fall to the Sith you seek to destroy, and the universe will in turn be plunged into a darkness that lasts for decades".

"There has to be a way to stop it" Ahsoka demanded, her fists clenching for reasons even she didn't understand. "I don't care about the so called _prophecy,_ or Anakin's destiny, if it can stop what you just showed me I'll do whatever it takes".

The Father nodded "like I said, your relationship with your sister Jedi was just the beginning in a series of events that have already begun to change the destiny of this universe. If not for your actions the future you were shown would have been inevitable".

"I don't care!" Ahsoka took a few steps back from the Father "I'm sorry, just tell me what I have to do".

"In order for that future to be destroyed balance must be brought to the force, but it is clear to me now that the chosen one is not strong enough to complete this task alone, without the help of those close to him his love for the Senator will be his undoing".

Ahsoka shook her head to insure she'd heard correctly "his love for...Padme'?, or course Padme' how could I be so blind?. Please Father, if I can stop James and his Master, will that stop the visions from becoming reality?".

The Father clasped his hands behind his robes, considering Ahsoka's words for a moment before answering. "Your skills _may_ be enough to stop the apprentice, but the chosen one is the only being powerful enough to put an end to the Sith lord".

"Alright so I'll stop James and make sure I'm right beside Anakin when he faces the Sith lord, will that be enough?".

"This is not for me to know" the Father stated "only the force may decide if the future can be changed, but you young Jedi may be our only hope. Right now the Sith apprentice is on his way to Kamino, let the force guide your actions Jedi, and those you care for may still be saved".

In the time it took the young Togruta to blink her eyes Ahsoka found herself back on Corusant, still standing by Barriss' side as the sun shined down above them. Before she could speak up about her experiences Barriss broke the silence "James left the planet, I can't sense him".

Ahsoka quickly nodded before grabbing Barriss' hand and pulling the confused girl away from the rail and back down the crowded walkway. "He's headed for Kamino, if we hurry we might be able to beat him there".

^0^0^0^

_**Kamino Cloning Center**_

Jedi Master Shaak Ti sat cross-legged in the middle of her extremely small quarters, with her knees only just missing the cot to her left as she tried her best to focus on the silence around her. Sensing his approach even before it happened Shaak Ti began to stand to her feet as a pale brown skinned Zabrakian entered her quarters, dressed in a dark brown Jedi robe and black combat boots the Jedi's polite features and muscular body were only complimented by two large horns jetting out from the top of his head that curved down the back of his head. After a small bow with the fellow Jedi Shaak Ti let a warm smile grace her lips "Master Dilrhan, bored again I see".

Taking a few steps passed her Dilrhan sat down on the small cot at the side of the room, a smooth powerful voice filling the room as he began to speak. "I don't know how you stand the quiet here, if it weren't for blaster training one would never know the clones were even here, it's certainly a _drastic_ change from my usual assignments".

"Quiet means all is going as planned" Shaak Ti pointed out "and there's plenty here to keep busy if you know where to look, why don't you join me in...". The Togruta Master cut her own sentence short as a sharp pain shot through her montrals, forcing her to her knees as a startled Dilrhan came to her aid and slowly helped her back to her feet. Relying on the force alone to keep the pain at bay Shaak Ti meet her friends eyes "an alarm at the main complex, something is _very_ wrong". Both Jedi shared a short nod before running out the small room and into the the brightly lit white hallway, their boots echoing along the slick black floor as another blare of the alarm forced Shaak Ti to stumble just inches before the buildings exit.

Master Dilrhan glanced out the see through door ahead of them, his eyes glancing over the large domed building at the very center of the base before another blare of the alarm caused him to wince at Shaak Ti's discomfort. Without looking Dilrhan raised a hand into the air, smashing the alarm located directly above the door and gaining a silent thank you from Master Ti. Another wave of his arm and the door in front of him swished open, both Jedi took a few steps outside onto the bridge leading to the main complex before Shaak Ti's com-link forced the Jedi's arm to her mouth. A few seconds of static filled the night air before a voice became clear "Jedi Master Shaak Ti, this is Captain Rex of the Jedi flagship _Resolute_ do you copy?".

Shaak Ti switched her gaze to the stars above, quickly spotting the looming flagship as it neared a docking station close by. "We copy Captain but we have a bit of a situation right now".

"I know General, you'll want to meet us before answering that alarm".

_** A Few Minutes Later**_

With the _Resolute_ successfully docked Jedi Knights Barriss Offee and Ahsoka Tano made their way down the ships loading ramp, meeting up with Shaak Ti and Dilrhan half way across the circular platform. A mix of questions written on the Jedi Masters faces Ahsoka was first to speak up "Masters we have reason to believe the Sith apprentice is the reason for that alarm, we thought it safer to group up before going after him". All sharing a silent understanding the four Jedi started off towards the main complex, just reaching the buildings large open entrance as Ahsoka brought her com-link to her mouth. "Alright Rex you know the plan, I hope to settle this problem without risking anymore lives but if I give the order I need your men ready to act".

Rex's confidence filled voice answered almost instantly "You can count on us Commander er...General Tano".

"You can just call me Ahsoka Rex, I think we're on a first name basis by now".

"Of course Ahsoka, Rex out" as Ahsoka deactivated her com-link Master Dilrhan began to lead the way through a variable maze of hallways, only stopping the group of Jedi behind him twice as he checked the hall ahead of them. After a few solid minutes of walking the group finally set sight on the door leading into the source of the alarm still blaring around them, the loud noise causing both Shaak Ti and Ahsoka to stumble with every step they took. With a silent order to stay back the three female Jedi stopped a few steps shy of the door as Master Dilrhan crept forward in a low crouch, pulling his lightsaber from his belt and opening the door in front of him with a wave of his hand. The room housing the complex's main computer was strangely empty, nothing but a large circular terminal that spanned the room and the blaring sound of the alarm in the far corner.

"Well, that's disappointing" still looking around the room Dilrhan turned to call the rest of the group inside "looks safe enough, someone turn that damn alarm off".

As her friends began to enter beside her Barriss quickly walked to the farthest corner of the room and flicked a switch on the wall, sending all into a still silence before joining Ahsoka in the middle of the room. "Ahsoka are you sure James was headed to Kamino?". Before Ahsoka could answer a faint movement above them caught both girls eyes, in the time it took for either girl to reach for their saber a black silhouetted figure dropped to the floor with a soft thud and took off across the room. Busy inspecting the terminal at the front of the room Master Shaak Ti had just enough time to turn around before the figure wrapped an arm around her waist and brought the cold touch of a lightsabers hilt to her neck.

Barriss and Ahsoka took their place beside Master Dilrhan as all three took a few steps towards the figure, stopping with only a few feet between themselves and a still calm Shaak Ti. "About damn time" pulling the hood down from his head James gave the three Jedi a thin smile "I've been hanging up there for like ten minutes, what took you two so long?, and who's the new guy?".

Ahsoka cautiously pulled both sabers from her side "James you don't have to do this, just put your weapons down and let her go".

"Oh can the peacekeeper act Ahsoka, I mean honestly has it ever worked?" his smile still spreading James tightened his grip on Shaak Ti's waist "ya know I did get one thing right, the hot one's are _always_ Jedi".

"Enough of this boy!" Master Dilrhan slanted his eyes as he pulled a double bladed lightsaber from his belt, igniting its two green blade and taking a quick step forward "release her now!".

"Man you're no fun, well I guess you heard him tight ass" Master Shaak Ti clenched both fists as James gave her a swift kick in the butt "go join your friends, my job's done anyway".

"Why would you do this?" Ahsoka's tone was almost distant, as if the girl really didn't expect an answer. "Me and Barriss, we were your friends, we loved you".

James laughed dryly "why?, you want a reason why?, well I suppose that's fair. Igniting his sabers blood red blade James took a few steps closer to the four Jedi, never once flinching as the edge of four sabers were aimed at his chest. "How's greed for a motivation?, cliché' enough for you Ahsoka?, or how about corruption?, jealousy?, any of these striking a cord?". At a blank look from the young Togruta James continued "no, okay then how about power, the power to do the things the Jedi are too weak to accomplish. In time you'll come to thank me Ahsoka, Palpatine is the only one strong enough to truly bring peace to the galaxy".

A few seconds of silence passed as James' words hit home with each Jedi, Master Shaak Ti being the first to pull herself together enough to speak. "It seems we've been deceived for some time now, an unfortunate slip of the tongue Sith".

"Oh, perhaps I've said too much" James mocked, a thick smile on his face as he slowly reached down in his pocket and pulled a small holo-pad into his hand. The group of Jedi stood motionless, each ready to act but still curious as to the boys strange action. As James held the holo-pad up for all to see Chancellor Palpatine's hologrammed form sent a cold chill through the room. "Your will has been carried out my Lord, you may proceed whenever you're ready".

As Sidious began to talk the smooth reassuring quality of his voice all but disappeared, replaced instead by a gruff and intensity that seemed almost inhuman. "Most impressive, report to the Senate as quickly as possible, our time squatting in the dark has come to an end".

"Of course my Lord, what should I do about the Jedi on Kamino?".

"End them!" Sidious screamed "prove to me you have what it takes to remain my apprentice!". With a silent nod James deactivated the holo-pad and stuffed it back inside his pocket before switching his gaze to meet Barriss' eyes. If she wasn't entirely convinced of the boys treachery Barriss may have thought, just for a second, that the look in James' eyes was one of regret, or even sadness. But she quickly wiped the thought from her mind as James deactivated his saber and clipped it back to hit belt beside Dooku's saber.

A look bordering on insanity on his face James took a quick step forward "you wanna know why Lord Sidious took such an interest in me?, there's...something about me". Without a seconds hesitation James stretched both hands out in front of him, a fierce flash of blue lightning erupting from his fingertips that sent all four Jedi back as their sabers slowly absorbed the force energy from the attack. "I can master in weeks what it takes others a lifetime of training to accomplish!".

Quickly recovering from the attack Ahsoka brought her com-link to her mouth "Rex do it now!, blow the charges!". For a few precious seconds only silence filled the room, followed by a series of explosions muffled by the many halls surrounding them.

A thin smile still on his lips James' aimed a smile at Ahsoka "bringing the whole building down, not bad, I only wish I could stay to watch the scene unfold". All four Jedi jumped forward at once, only to have themselves thrown back across the room by a wave of James' hand. Taking a second to charge the force energy flowing in him James sprang upward, blasting a hole in the ceiling as he disappeared into Kamino's rain drenched sky. Barriss held back a painful pounding in her head as she pulled herself to back on her feet, a quick look to both sides telling her her friends were fine she proceeded to take off back across the room.

Knowing full well her friends would be right behind her Barriss propelled her body out the hole in the ceiling and quickly spotted James making his way down the buildings sloped roof. Her feet hitting the roof before she could come up with a plan she found it impossible for her boots to find grip on the slick wet surface under her. Some help from the force speeding her way forward Barriss began to slide down the roof towards James, doing her best to ignore the fact that the entire building was just beginning to crumble from it's base and descend to the never ending ocean underneath it. James turned his head as she began to close the space between them, sending a bolt of force lightning straight back towards her.

Barriss had just enough time to pull her main saber from her side and ignite it's green blade before the lightning reached her, swiftly crossing the blade in front of her and absorbing the energy before willing the force to increase her speed. James sent a flurry of lightning strikes towards the girl trailing behind him as both neared the edge of the buildings roof. The heavy rainfall pelting her skin Barriss squinted against the rain and expertly blocked each attack before James sent himself into the air once again. Following the boys actions Barriss jumped as high as she could, a trained eye fighting through the intense conditions around her to stay on James as he landed amidst a group of clones on the same platform that housed the idle Jedi cruiser _Resolute_.

Barriss' boots hit the round platform with more that a small amount of recoil, shaking off the pain she raised her saber towards James and aimed her words at the clones all around her. "Surround this Sith!, be prepared to fire on my command!". As the clones followed their orders Barriss felt her strength increase as Ahsoka landed gracefully beside her, followed seconds later my Master Shaak Ti and Master Dilrhan. The four Jedi quickly spread out along the platform, forming a small square around James as the Sith apprentice pulled both sabers from his belt and held the hilts firmly in his hands.

Before anyone could chose how to proceed Captain Rex ran down the _Resolute's_ loading ramp and stopped by Ahsoka's side, pulling both pistols from his side and aiming them towards James' without missing a beat. "The Resolute's main guns are fixed on this position in case you try to run, lay down your weapons and surrender".

James simply smiled at the clone "Aw how cute, you even trained your clone pet to play peacekeeper. Tell me Ahsoka, how many times have fought alongside Captain Rex there?, enough to consider him a friend?". When the only answer he got from the young Togruta was silence James continued "I'll take that as a yes, well then I'd prepare yourself because this is _really_ gonna hurt".

Sharing a confused look both Barriss and Ahsoka turned to Captain Rex as he pulled a small holo-pad from his belt and held it up as Palpatine's form appeared above it. "The time has come, execute order 66".

"...yes my lord" after strapping the holo-pad back to his belt Rex slowly removed his helmet, carelessly dropping to it to the ground as he turned to face Ahsoka. Every little movement seemed to send a jolt of pain through the clone Captain's body as he raised his pistol towards the young Togruta, trying his best to avoid Ahsoka's eyes he aimed his words to the clones surrounding the platform. "Men...the Jedi have betrayed the Republic!, be prepared to shoot on my command!".

Ahsoka crossed her green saber in front of her chest and looked to Barriss to make sure she had heard correctly "Rex?".

Rex narrowed his gaze and strengthened his grip on his pistols trigger "I'm sorry Ahsoka".

Barriss took a few steps forward, stopped in her tracks by Ahsoka's hand pressing against her waist. Sharing a silent understanding with her friend Barriss stepped back, every slight movement followed by the barrel of every blaster surrounding them. Ahsoka deactivated her saber and clipped the weapon back to her waist before meeting Rex's eyes "I won't fight back Rex, do what you must". Time slowed to a crawl as Rex kept his pistol aimed at Ahsoka's head, physically shaking as he fought to pull back on the trigger.

"I can sense your confusion Rex" Ahsoka stated calmly "this is wrong and you know it, we both know your stronger than this. Whatever Palpatine has done to you and the rest of your brothers you _are_ strong enough to overcome, you may be a soldier Rex but you're _not_ a murderer".

A few heart beats skipped as Rex began to lower his pistol, almost smashing the weapon when he slammed it into its holster. "Your right Ahsoka, I won't kill a friend".

"Oh enough of this!" as James stretched an arm forward Rex's entire body went rigid, a look of intense pain on his face as his hand began to grip the pistol at his side.

Rex struggled with all his strength to fight the boys influence to no avail. All the clone Captain could do was watch as the barrel of his pistol was once again raised to Ahsoka's head. Everyone around, clone and Jedi alike, stood in shock with their feet rooted firmly to their respective spots as Rex's finger pressed down on his pistols trigger and filled the silent platform with the sound of a single blaster shot. Ahsoka closed her eyes for the inevitable only to reopen them a second later when a loud thud beside her took her by surprise "no". Rex's body laid lifeless at Ahsoka's feet, a small trail of smoke still rising from his secondary pistol and a pool of blood pouring from his head.

Ahsoka fell to one knee and solemnly closed Rex's eyes before turning to face the Sith in the middle of the platform "one final chance James!, surrender or I promise you won't leave Kamino alive!".

A wicked smile crossing his lips James took a few steps backwards "well tempting as that sounds I'm afraid I have a meeting to get to, but I'm sure _my_ troopers will be happy to deal with you". With one final bow James took off down the slim bridge leading to the next platform, strapping both his sabers to his belt as a slight will of force energy doubled his speed. Both Barriss and Ahsoka moved to chase the fleeing Sith only to be forced back by a barrage of blaster bolts from every conceivable direction.

All four Jedi ignited their respective sabers in unison, blocking and sending back what shots they could as the group of clones slowly worked their way forward. Master Shaak Ti stretched an arm forward and sent two clones off the side of the platform with a strong force push "Barriss you and Ahsoka go after the Sith!, we'll keep the clones busy and try to find a way off the planet!".

Nodding in response Barriss clipped the hilts of her sabers together and spun the double edged blade in front of her as she broke off from her friends, a built up force energy released from her sabers the second she ran up to the clones blocking the route to the next platform, sending the helpless troopers into the endless sea below as she cleared the way across the bridge. Ahsoka only a step behind her Barriss sprinted across the bridge in a matter of seconds and vaulted into the air, landing directly in front of James at the opposite end of the platform and raising her saber in front of her. James came to a sudden halt with his neck just inches from Barriss' saber "whoa beautiful, faster than I thought".

"It's over James!, no one else will die because I made the mistake of trusting a monster like you!".

James placed a hand over his heart "now come on that one hurt, not very Jedi-ish if you ask me". As Ahsoka ran up behind him James raised his hands into the air "Ahsoka me and Barriss need some alone time right now, don't worry though I have someone all ready to keep you busy, someone from your past who's just been _dying_ to see you". James playfully laughed at his own joke as a portal of dark blue force energy appeared beside him, a figure stepping out that brought Ahsoka's heart to her throat. In the same Jedi garbs from that fateful day the female Jedi stared at Ahsoka with blank eyes, pulling the lightsaber from her side and igniting its blue blade without so much as a word in explanation.

"Kalifa!" Ahsoka had to fight the urge to rush forward and hug the girl standing in front of her, after taking a closer look at Kalifa she found the small feeling of joy ripped from her body as quickly as it had came. Although bearing a physical resemblance to the girl she met on Wasskah the look in Kalifa's eyes was nothing as she'd remembered it, the strength of a Jedi replaced instead with a blind fury that seemed to emanate into the girls very force presence.

"Very good Ahsoka" James teased wildly "I'm sure you two girls have a lot of inane chatter to catch up on, we'll just be over here". At the last of his words James floated a surprised Barriss into the air and carelessly tossed her across the platform, igniting both his sabers as he walked to catch up with her. Her boots finding no grip on the soaked platform Barriss plunged her saber into the ground to catch herself, pulling it free just as James' rushed her and brought down both his sabers on both ends of her own. "Your making a big mistake Barriss!, join me and we could defeat Lord Sidious and rule the galaxy together!".

Using both blades of her double edged saber Barriss blocked a series of vicious swings from James' sabers "you'll never turn me against my friends James, a Sith will never rise to power as long as there's a single Jedi left in the galaxy!". Barriss felt her defense weaken with every swipe from James' sabers, seconds before the Sith would of broken through a break in his attack gave Barriss the opportunity she'd been looking for. Pulling her sabers back apart Barriss swung her leg in a quick circle and knocked James from his feet, a quick slash shattering Dooku's saber into pieces as the boy fell to his back. Just when she had the time to strike a sharp jolt of pain traveled throughout Barriss' body, it's source emitting from the tips of James' free hand as he rose to his feet.

"Barriss!, I'm coming!" Ahsoka took no more than two steps across the platform before Kalifa jumped in front of her, slashing her lightsaber forward directly at Ahsoka's head. Ahsoka ducked as an intense heat passed just over her montrals and brought her main saber up across Kalifa's legs. Kalifa simply stood still as the saber passed harmlessly through her legs, forcing a confused Ahsoka back with a light force push.

Finally summoning the strength to fight against the pain Barriss brought her hand up and absorbed the stream of force lightning into her palm "Ahsoka Kalifa isn't real!, James is using your memory of her to keep you from helping me!, block your thoughts of her from your mind and she'll disappear!".

"Hey!" James bellowed "I don't poke holes in your plans!". Reluctantly ending the lightning pouring from his fingertips James rushed forward and brought his blood red saber down towards Barriss. With a quick dash to the side Barriss barely avoided the attack, not letting a single second pass before swiping at James's side. Reacting faster than she thought possible James blocked her saber with his own, using his free hand to get in a quick punch against the girls ribs before leaping backward.

Once again Ahsoka ran forward to try and help her friend, only to be cut off by another swipe of Kalifa's saber. "This isn't real!" Ahsoka all but screamed to the figure still attacking her "Kalifa died protecting her friends!, she died a hero!, your very presence is an insult to that sacrifice!". Her words only gained a sly grin from Kalifa, a look so foreign on the face Ahsoka remembered it pushed the young Togruta to her breaking point. As quickly as she could Ahsoka strapped her sabers back to her waist and clasped her hands together, focusing all her strength on the large ball of force energy that enveloped her hands.

With one final look at the girl in front of her Ahsoka pushed both her arms forward, letting loose an entire wave of force energy that spread all across the platform, dissipating Kalifa's form the second it made contact. Now out of Ahsoka's control the wave of energy soared forward and sent both James and Barriss spiraling into the air and away from the platform. Barriss quickly redirected her body as it fell towards the endless ocean below, reactivating both her sabers as a quick burst of force energy sent her sailing downward alongside the heavy rain all around her. James was also quick to gain control of the new situation as he turned his body in the air to face the girl racing towards him, sending a volley of force lightning in her direction from both of his hands.

Barriss pulled her arms against her side as she fell, calling on the force to help her evade the lightning strikes that threatened to slow her descent. In only a few seconds Barriss had caught up with James' falling form, one swipe from her main saber cutting both James' saber and the hand holding it from his body. James screamed in pain as Barriss twisted her body around and let her boots rest against the boys chest, meeting the boys fury filled eyes one last time before raising both her sabers above her head "goodbye James". Barriss forced herself to meet James' gaze as she plunged two bright green blades into his chest, watching as the life drained from his eyes before strapping the sabers back to her waist.

Her victory short lived Barriss quickly realized the waves at the end of her fall were only inches away, with no plan coming to mind she looked around just in time to see a T-6 shuttle dive out of the sky above her. Calling on all the energy she could gather Barriss pushed off of James' chest as the T-6 neared her position, her eyes staining against the rain barely made out an orange skinned arm reaching out of the ships small loading ramp. The heat from the ships thrusters almost too much to take Barriss stretched her arm out and grasped Ahsoka's hand with all her strength, a feeling of relief washing over her as she was pulled inside the ship. Relief quickly replaced with a warm sensation as Barriss landed directly on top of Ahsoka, both girls stood to their feet and rushed to the ships cockpit where Master Shaak Ti was piloting the ship away from Kamino as quickly as she could.

Master Dilrhan stood at the side of the cockpit, fiddling with a small holopad on the console in front of him for a few seconds before Master Yoda's form appeared above it. Before the Jedi Master could speak Barriss ran up to the holo-pad "Master Yoda Chancellor Palpatine is the Sith Lord, he's ordered the entire clone army to kill all Jedi on sight!".

Master Yoda's voice was as a calm as always "send a warning to all Jedi out on assignment, we must".

"Master what about the Jedi at the temple?" Ahsoka asked "there's no way Palpatine will leave the temple standing now that his identity is out in the open".

Master Yoda took a moment to think "too late, I'm afraid it may be. But try to warn them we still can. Contact Master Windu, you must. Inform him and all remaining Jedi to meet at these coordinates, a chance to save the galaxy, we may still have".

^0^0^0^

_**Corusant, Jedi Temple**_

Anakin walked aimlessly through the halls of the temple when the faint sound of blaster fire brought his hand to his waist. Taking off at a swift run down the hall the Jedi Knight stopped at the corner leading into the archives and hugged the wall next to him, his heart beating against his chest as he quietly poked a head around the corner. Entering from the opposite side of the of the archives marched an entire battalion of clone soldiers, all expertly breaking off as the entered and filling the large hallway with a barrage of red blaster bolts as surprised Jedi began to fall faster than he could count. A fury growing inside him like never before Anakin ignited his sabers blue blade, moving to rush around the corner only for a gloved hand to pull him back into cover.

Pulling the black hood down from his head Marikane met Anakin's eyes "are you insane?, there's a bloody army out there!. Much as I'd like to see your overconfident ass blown to bits going out there is suicide".

Anakin shrugged Marikane's hand off his shoulder "I won't just stand by while the clones slaughter them!".

"Nor would I ask you too, look there's nothing we can do for them but if we don't act now there deaths will be for nothing". After gaining a simple nod from Anakin Marikane started back down the hall, waving a hand for the reluctant Jedi Knight to follow. As the two men ran down the marble hall as fast as their legs would carry them Marikane read the expression on Anakin's face. "Master Yoda got the heads up from Barriss and Ahsoka a few minutes ago, turns out the Sith lord has been Chancellor Palpatine this entire time. He's ordered the clone army to wipe out the Jedi with some secret order he had implanted in the clones at the start of the war".

"Wait..._Palpatine_" completely ignoring the look on Cananvi's face Anakin stopped in his tracks near the end of the hall "he was the Sith lord...no, no that can't be right".

Lost in his thoughts Anakin watched as Marikane ignited one of his black bladed sabers, stopping a blaster bolt from piercing his skull as he all but pulled Anakin around the corner. As the hall beside them erupted in blaster fire Marikane opened the first door he could find with a wave of his hand, shoving Anakin inside and quickly shutting the door behind as he stepped inside. "Look Anakin I don't care if you believe me or not!, right now we have more pressing matters than your relationship with the Chancellor!. Master Windu gave everyone strict orders to meet at the council chamber, I was assigned with finding you and ensuring the young-lings make it safely to the chamber, now I hate to say this but I'm not gonna make it there without your help, if you don't pull yourself together we're both _dead_ you understand!".

Anakin stood in silence for a moment with his eyes distant before finally shaking himself back into the present. "Fine, lets just get moving".

"Yeah easier said than done" pulling his second saber from his waist Marikane slide the door open just enough to peer out "alright we're clear, just stay close I'd rather do this quietly". Nodding in response Anakin followed Marikane out the door, taking a quick look around before both men once again took off running down the hall. As they neared the hall leading to the young-lings training quarters Anakin looked out the halls open side across from them, stopping in his tracks at a raised hand from Marikane as the moon began to rise in the distance. As he rounded the corner Marikane thrusts both his sabers forward, piercing the armor of two clone soldiers just as they approached.

"Oh shit!" the confident smirk leaving his face instantly Marikane leaned back around the corner, narrowly avoiding a onslaught of blaster fire from the hall housing their destination. Almost laughing to himself Marikane turned to face Anakin "don't wanna jump the gun but they _might_ know we're here".

"Perfect" Anakin said with a roll of his eyes "just keep them busy I'll go for the young-lings!".

"A plan I can get behind, took you long enough" after a few deep breaths Marikane lunged out from the halls corner, blocking a slew of lasers shots as he ran towards the group of clone soldiers at the end of the hall. Anakin quickly deactivated his saber and clipped it back to his waist before heading down the hall himself, opening the first door with a wave of his hand. Inside the small room the bodies of two clone soldiers laid in the middle of the floor as a slight movement in the corner of the room caught his eye, crouched together at the far corner sat a small group of young-lings. Upon seeing Anakin enter the only young-ling holding a training saber, a young human male with short brown hair, stood to his feet "Master Skywalker there's too many of them, what are we going to do?".

Anakin quickly ignited his saber, forcing the young-ling to take a fearful step backward as he thrusts the saber behind him seconds before the door leading into the room opened and catching a surprised clone straight through the chest. As the soldier fell to the ground Anakin stepped further into the room "we have to get to the council chamber, stick close to me and you'll be fine".

Before he could turn back to the door the young-ling with his saber still drawn tugged on his robe "Ashla's been shot Master!, we can't leave without her!". Anakin deactivated his saber as he walked across the room, the group of young-lings broke up as he approached to reveal a small Togruta female with three thin lekku bond behind her head and a dark red shirt and skirt. Kneeling down Anakin inspected the burn mark on Ashla's right leg "looks like the laser just grazed your skin" trying his best to comfort the small Togruta Anakin picked up Ashla, cradling her in his arms as he led the way to the door. With the young-lings barely a step behind Anakin entered the hall just in time to watch Marikane pounce on the last clone soldier, piercing both black blades into the clones chest before standing to his feet.

Having to step over more than a few bodies Marikane clipped both sabers to his waist as he approached Anakin, a thin smile on his lips as he spied the young-lings crowded around him. "Never figured you for a kid person Skywalker".

"Funny" Anakin replied dryly "only one's wounded, nothing a bacta-patch won't cure but you'll have to do most of the fighting".

"As usual" sharing a small grin with Anakin Marikane looked down to the young-lings "alright I want all of you to stick as close to me and Skywalker as possible, just be ready to dive for cover if I give the order, understood?". The young-lings each nodded in response, quickly breaking off and forming a single file ling behind Anakin. As the faint sound of footsteps echoed through the air around them Marikane pulled his pistol from the holster strapped to his side, carefully handing it to the small Togruta in Anakin's arms. "I've been on missions with Anakin before sweetie, guy always needs someone to watch his back, can I count on you to do that?".

Wrapping both her hands around the pistol Ashla nodded weakly, her lips tugging at a smile despite the situation "yes sir".

"I know that look young one, you're gonna make quite the Jedi" the sound of footsteps growing near with each passing second Marikane waved for all to follow as he started down the hall. At last spotting the large oval shaped door leading to the elevator Anakin allowed himself a sigh of relief, instantly regretting the action as both Marikane's sabers hissed to life. Pouring around the corner at the end of the hall a multitude of clone soldiers took cover by the elevator door, filling the hallway with laser fire as the young-lings darted for cover by the small decorative beams jutting out from the sides of the hall.

"There's too many!, Ashla climb onto my back!" with a confident nod from the small Togruta Anakin hoisted Ashla over his shoulder, holding back a groan as the girl slid her body on his back and held on to his shoulder with her free hand. Both hands now free Anakin activated his saber and began to help Marikane in sending back the barrage of laser fire to its source. As both men had their attention forced in front of them two clones appeared around the halls back entrance, slowly approaching Anakin and Marikane with their rifles drawn. Ashla squinted her clear green eyes as the clones neared, raising her pistol and firing off two quick shots before either clone had the chance to react.

The noise forcing a quick look back Anakin let a sly grin cross his face "not bad Ashla". With one final swish of his saber the last clone fell at the end of the hall, after taking a moment to check on the girl hanging from his shoulders Anakin waved for all to follow him down the hall. Marikane deactivated his sabers as they approached the elevator, stepping inside after the group of young-lings he hit the image for the top floor and finally let out a breath as the metal doors closed in front of him.

Now covered in darkness as the elevator made its way up the council chamber the large group took the moment to all catch their breath, all heads turning towards Anakin's back when soft voice told them Ashla had spoken up. "The clones are our friends Master, why are they attacking us?".

Anakin looked to his feet, knowing he didn't have the strength of heart to meet the girls eyes at this moment. "The clones are only following orders Ashla, it's the Chancellor who truly betrayed the Jedi".

"But the Chancellor serves the Republic, why would he do this?".

Anakin felt his heart drop at the innocence in Ashla's voice, when Marikane had told him about Palpatine's betrayal he had of course had his doubts. But hearing the grief stricken words of Ashla in his ear, the words of a girl who no doubt just watched some of her mentors shot down at the hands of the clones, was more than enough to drive the reality of the situation home. The Chancellor made a decision to kill everyone Anakin cared about, and he _would_ pay for that decision. Obviously seeing the pain on Anakin's face Marikane broke the silence "don't you worry sweetie, the Chancellor will get what he deserves, just try and focus on the moment at hand okay".

Ashla nodded before burying her face in Anakin's back as the doors in front of them swung open, revealing a short empty hallway leading to the chambers closed doors. Feeling Ashla wrapped an arm around his waist Anakin ran for the door "we have the young-lings Masters". The group took a few steps back as the large doors opened, quickly stepping inside as the doors closed behind them. His eyes quickly scanning the room Anakin was surprised to see only Masters Windu and Obi-Wan looking the young-lings over "this can't be it, where's everyone else?".

Raising an eyebrow at his question Obi-Wan rose to his feet "I'm afraid the rest of the council were on assignment, we can only hope Master Yoda's warning got to them in time".

With only a few rays of moonlight to light the chamber Anakin walked across the chamber floor and peered out the window still shattered from James' exit. "Well the clones that are left have to be making their way through the temple, whatever the plan is we need to do it _now_ while the coast is clear".

"It's not that far down" Marikane said as he floated a number of chairs in front of the chamber doors "we could just jump".

"_We_ could" Obi-Wan agreed with a nod to the group of young-lings in the corner "but _they_ can't, we'll have to find another way out of here".

Blocking out the resulting mix of ideas from Windu and Obi-Wan Anakin looked down the broken window in front of him, a thin smirk crossing his lips as he came up with a plan. After helping a sliding Ashla back up to his shoulders he turned to his friends, quickly clearing his throat to gain their attention. "Even if we could jump down we'd have no where to go, we need a ship".

Marikane nodded "it'll have to be fast, no way we can stay on Corusant".

"We need to regroup" Master Windu added "Coordinate an assault on the Chancellor with the remaining Jedi, I trust you have a plan Skywalker?".

"Yes Master" his eyes distant Anakin looked back down the broken window beside him. "I know one ship that may be able to get us off this planet alive, and it just so happens to be setting inside the temples docking bay. If I can sneak down there and retrieve it I'll fly back up here and we can all live to make sure Palpatine get what he deserves".

Still checking over the group of young-lings Obi-Wan pulled a small bacta-patch from his robes pocket, throwing it to Anakin with a sympathetic smile to the girl hanging on his back. "Well it's not much of a plan but it'll have to do, here I'll take Ashla for you".

"No!" turning every head in the room Ashla shook her head defiantly "I mean, I want to go, I can help you Master".

A sly grin crossing his lips Anakin shrugged towards his friends "you heard the girl, don't worry we'll be back before you know it Master". Not giving anyone else a chance to speak up Anakin turned back to the window, taking a few deep breaths before sprinting forward and letting his feet leave the floor of the chamber behind. As he fell through the pitch black sky Anakin shook all feeling from his body, the crisp night air hit relentlessly against skin, but he did not feel it, Ashla tugging hard on his neck as the girl struggled to keep her grip made it difficult for him to breath, but again he felt nothing. Even when his heart usually tugged for the thought of those he loved being in danger, for Padme', for Ahsoka, he felt nothing.

In it's place instead was blind ambition, fury, hatred, all of it focused solely on the man he thought cared about him all these years. Until Palpatine felt the cold pierce of his blade he would not let the usual foolish thoughts cloud his mind, that man...that monster would pay for betraying his trust, nothing would get in the way of that. Quickly snapping his mind back into the present he turned his body seconds before hitting the ground, landing lightly on the empty street surrounding the Jedi temple. _'The shooting no doubt scared anyone in the area away'_ he thought to himself _'the clones had to of set up a perimeter around the temple by now, I'll have to do this quick, but first things first'_.

Moving in a fast crouch Anakin made his way along the temples outer edge, surrounded by darkness only relieved from the occasional streetlight. Once he was sure the area around them was clear he carefully slid Ashla off his back and placed the small Togruta in a patch of darkness beside him, pulling the bacta-patch from his pocket and expertly wrapping it around the girls leg. With a small grunt of pain Ashla stood slowly to her feet, giving Anakin a chance to finally observe the girl as she stepped into the light. Along with the three strapped lekku behind her back Ashla's innocent stare and petite yet athletic form gave off an image Anakin found all too familiar, so much so he had to physically shake himself out of a very real flashback to his first meeting with Ahsoka on Christophsis.

Still gripping hard on her blaster Ashla looked down the dark street ahead of her "Master I believe their is an entrance to the lower docking bay right over there". Ashla started down the street before Anakin could respond, crouching down low next to a window at the very bottom of the temples wall and waiting patiently for the Jedi Knight to join her. Anakin knelt down on the windows opposite side and peered inside, seeing the usual row of various ships including several T-6's and a few X and Y wing fighters scattered around in need of repair. As gently as he could Anakin slid the window open and lowered himself down, his boots hitting the cement floor as Ashla jumped down behind him.

After a quick look around Anakin led the small Togruta behind a nearby T-6, talking to her in a low whisper as his eyes scanned the area around them. "Make sure you set that blaster to stun, if the clones find out we're down here we're done for".

Nodding solemnly Ashla did what was asked of her, falling close in line behind Anakin as he led the way through the docking bay "Master, with time of the essence shouldn't we just take the closest ship and get out of here?".

"None of these flashy T-6 models will out fly a Republic cruiser, only one ship here is fast enough to get us out of here alive".

Ashla gave the Jedi Knight a confused look "which ship is that Master?".

Finally nearing their destination Anakin stopped in his tracks at the foot of the twilight's loading ramp "the one I've been working on for almost three years".

^0^0^0^

Obi-Wan sat down beside Master Windu at his usual seat on the council, rubbing hard at his tired eyes as yet another strong force convulsion snaked through his body. "Jedi are being _slaughtered_ all across the galaxy, I can feel them calling out, asking for answers I cannot give them".

A rarely seen look of sadness crossed Windu's face "some of them had to get Master Yoda's message in time, if Palpatine's plan was to wipe the galaxy clean of the Jedi he has already failed".

"Yes but without enough of the Jedi left to fight back our survival will mean nothing" Obi-Wan stated.

Finally convinced the door leading into the chamber was properly barred Marikane turned to face his friends "don't forget the young-lings, even if we don't win this day they'll still live to fight another".

"Only if Skywalker gets back in time" Master Windu added "it won't take long for the clones...". As if on cue the muffled sound of footsteps approached the door to the chamber along with a low bickering of several clone troopers. Both Obi-Wan and Windu ignited their respective sabers, issuing a silent command to Marikane to move the young-lings to the very back of the chamber. The chamber door erupted into pieces as clones began to pore in, quickly filling the room with streams of red blaster fire.

Obi-Wan and Windu swung their sabers defensively as they ran in front of the young-lings, taking down a number of clones as they redirected the shots back to their source. With every clone that fell two more took his place, before long the Jedi found themselves pushed back to the rear of the chamber. A wall of blaster fire in front of them and the unforgiving wind of Corusant's night air at their back the group of Jedi readied to make one final assault when the roar of thrusters forced their heads to gaze out the broken window behind them. The twilight hovered with it's rear facing the open window as the ships loading ramp lowered to reveal Ashla standing with her pistol at the ready "come on!".

The young-lings were first jump, each crouching as low as they could as Ashla emptied her pistols clip into the chamber. Ashla threw the pistol back to Marikane as he jumped into the ship, followed seconds later by Obi-Wan and Windu. The clones left in the temple continued to fire at the twilight as the ship took off into the night sky, gracefully weaving around several skyscrapers before rising towards the stars above.


	23. Remnants of the Jedi

_Remnants of the Jedi!, their order all but decimated thanks to a secret order issued to the clones the Jedi are slaughtered all across the galaxy, in a desperate attempt to save the order Jedi Master Yoda sends a message out to his fellow Jedi, ordering them to meet him at a secret location well out of the Republic's reach. As the chosen ones destiny nears ever closer the very fate of the galaxy hangs in the balance, a fate even the Jedi may not be powerful enough to stop. _

**Chapter 23: Remnants of the Jedi**

_**Corellian Trade Spine, Just beyond the Outer Rim**_

Barriss stood behind Master Dilrhan's chair in the cockpit of the T-6 shuttle, her confusion rising with every second of silence as Shaak Ti piloted the ship through the vast array of blackness around them. A quick look to the console at her side told her they were in fact on course to Master Yoda's coordinates, but the pure white planet looming in the view port finally peaked her interest enough to speak. "We're meeting Master Yoda on _Hoth_?, I'm all for remote but their hasn't been a civilized settlement on this planet in years".

Master Dilrhan nodded to the girl behind him "exactly miss Offee, if the Republic tries to find us this is without a doubt the last place they'd look, lets just hope our fellow Jedi can make it here without being followed".

"I'm getting a signal from the planets surface" Shaak Ti said "small enough for someone to miss were they not looking for it, it seems someone beat us here".

With a small nod Barriss turned away from the view port "I'll tell Ahsoka, just to be safe I'd shut off anything not critical for landing this thing. We're not certain it's Master Yoda down there waiting for us, better to be remain discrete as long as possible". The lights above her began to dim as Barriss stepped out of the cockpit and into the small room that served as the ships loading bay, Ahsoka sat cross-legged in the middle of the room. Trying to keep her steps light on the metal floor Barriss walked up to the girl and placed a hand on her shoulder "we're nearing Hoth, should only be a few more minutes".

When silence was the only response she got Barriss turned back to the door, stopped just inches from the exit when Ahsoka rose to her feet "Barriss, we need to talk". The tone in her friends voice was enough to turn Barriss back around, nodding for Ahsoka to continue as she took a few steps closer. Ahsoka met Barriss' eyes as she spoke "look I know I should have told you this earlier, although we never shared it with the council several months ago Skyguy, Master Kenobi, and me wound up on a planet...well unlike anything I'd ever seen. On it was a man who called himself the Father, a man I watched die in front of me".

"Why are you telling me this now?" Barriss asked.

"Because before we left Corusant I saw him again, in a vision of the future he showed me things I can't even begin to describe, _terrible_ things. Palpatine plans to use Anakin's love for Padme' to turn him to the dark side, and I've seen what happens if his plan succeeds, Barriss we _can't_ allow it to happen. Along with the vision the Father told me that future has already been set off course, we have a chance to change it but we must insure Anakin has help close by when he faces Palpatine".

Barriss was silent for a moment as she took in her friends words "since you're telling me this now I assume you've decided not to tell Anakin".

"I know my former Master, if I tell him he'll rush off on his own and do something drastic".

"Alright then we'll come up with something together, assuming this base we're headed to is secure we'll talk about this later okay". Lightly kissing Ahsoka's forehead Barriss met her friends eyes "there's something else you want to tell me".

"Yes" Ahsoka reluctantly admitted "having seen what happens when Anakin's love is used by his enemies I started to think, about us, and about our future. I know it's like a one in a million shot we live through this, but if we do I think we should consider taking our lives in a different direction".

Barriss took a few steps back "you mean our lives as Jedi, you want to _leave_ the Order?".

A pained look crossed Ahsoka's face as she slowly nodded "I won't force this decision on you, all I'm asking is that you consider it when the time comes".

Looking deep into her friends eyes Barriss rushed forward and pressed her lips against Ahsoka's, a warm sensation traveling through her body before she pulled back. "I don't know what our future holds Ahsoka, but I know I want to spend every last second of it with you by my side, promise me we'll both be here to talk about this again and I'll consider leaving the order". A strong lurch telling both girls the ship had landed Ahsoka simply nodded, the ring still resting in her pocket feeling as though it had doubled in weight as the young Togruta shook the foolish thought from her head.

^0^0^0^

Hoth's climate was easily the most unforgivable of any Barriss had experienced before, an endless sea of snow in every direction with some spots reaching higher up than the girls waist and a devastating windchill that felt as though it was ripping the skin from her body with every sudden gust. The trek through what she hoped was a path ahead of them was made even worse by the fact that their T-6 had contained absolutely no snow gear, leaving all four Jedi with only their usual Jedi garb to protect from the extreme conditions of the snowy planet. With every breath filling her throat with half a mouth full of snow from the blizzard that blared around them Barriss grabbed hold of Ahsoka and pulled the girl close as they continued to walk, between the girls shared body heat and a familiar soothing force presence Ahsoka did a fair job of keeping her from falling to her knees. A few more minutes passed before Master Dilrhan and Master Shaak Ti also huddled together, each wrapping an arm around the others waist and walking in unison through the deep snow.

The four Jedi struggled to keep moving for what felt like hours, but each knew in reality was more like minutes, with no sign of Master Yoda or any other Jedi ever presenting itself. Leading the way Barriss and Ahsoka all but crawled over a snow covered hill, each pausing for a split second when a group of strange looking animals in the clearing ahead took them by surprise. Sensing their confusion Master Dilrhan followed their gaze, forced to yell over the blizzard as he explained. "Tauntauns!, one of the few herbivores native to this planet!".

"If an entire group is around there must be a cave somewhere nearby!" Shaak Ti added "Tauntauns survive solely on grass found in the caverns scattered across the planet, the only reason they even come above ground is to mate!".

Without meeting Ahsoka's eyes Barriss was sure they had come up with the same plan, both starting down the hill and towards the group of animals fast as their tired legs would carry them. Masters Dilrhan and Shaak Ti followed blindly, the latter even mentioning the animals are easily startled as Barriss and Ahsoka neared the closest Tauntaun. Both girls easily combined their force presence, sensing and quickly calming the skittishness inside the beasts. Barriss let go of Ahsoka and took a cautious step forward, running a cold hand through the Tauntauns amazingly warm fur.

Losing their self control instantly both Barriss and Ahsoka pressed their bodies against the warm animal, reveling in the fact that, just for a second, their desperate situation melted away along with the painful coldness inside them. Before either Jedi Master could questions their strange actions Barriss lightly grabbed the animals pelt and pulled herself onto it's back, holding onto the Tauntauns neck as she helped Ahsoka up to sit behind her. With no need for explanation Master Dilrhan climbed on top of the Tauntaun closest to him and pulled Shaak Ti up behind him "if we can find the cave these creatures live in we can at least get out of this blizzard for a while!".

Barriss squinted her eyes against the oncoming snow "I think I see something in the distance!". Gently digging her foot against the animals side Barriss tightened her grip on the animals neck as the Tauntaun took off through the snow, easily moving with the same grace a person would when running on a paved road. Clearing a space in seconds that would of taken them hours on foot the Tauntaun came to a sudden halt when Barriss willed the animal to do so, her eyes stuck on the sight in front of her as she jumped down off the animal. Just a few feet ahead a snow covered mountain that seemed to kiss the sky at its peak loomed over the entire area, but it was the large oval shaped opening in the mountains base that brought all four Jedi to an amazed stop.

Inside the opening an oddly bright lit cave lined with dark blue walls made entirely of ice carved its way down far enough that the ending was impossible to see from their position. Barriss started to step forward before a slick surface under her forced her gaze downward towards a small shining piece of metal barely noticeable under the thick layer of snow. After a quick intake of breath Ahsoka cleared the snow around the object with a small force push, revealing a strange symbol etched into the metal. Apparently recognizing the symbol Master Dilrhan stepped forward "the insignia for the Old Republic, of course, in the days of the Old Republic the Jedi had small temples all throughout the galaxy, I believe we've found Master Yoda's meeting place".

"I can sense more than one being" Shaak Ti stated "each rather strong in the force, perhaps our warning got out in time".

^0^0^0^

After only a few minutes of walking the four Jedi found themselves at the end of the large cave, the wind simultaneously ripped from their lungs as they took in their surroundings. The caves inner workings were a natural work of art, with an ice ceiling above them clear as glass and a field of fresh grass stretching all throughout the cave. A group of Tauntauns apparently unaware of their presence stood peacefully grazing in the middle of the field, one of whom quickly looked up as the Jedi started across the field. Barriss let out a quick sigh of relief when she found her body slowly being warmed from the rays of sunlight pouring in from a number of small cracks in the caves ceiling .

As the group made their way across the large cave Ahsoka stopped in her tracks "they're close by" before anyone could question her the young Togruta ran towards the caves left wall. When she neared the wall a quick trembling around her forced Ahsoka to stop once again, simply staring when a large portion of the cave wall receded into the ground to reveal a small green form that brought a smile to all present. Ahsoka bowed to the Jedi Master before speaking "Master Yoda, it's a relief to see you made it off Kashyyyk".

"To see you four, a relief it is as well. Please follow, much to discuss we have". Master Yoda turned after a nod from the group of Jedi and led the way inside a room nearly identical to the war room of the Jedi Temple, although the steps that would have normally led into said temple were no where to found, replaced instead with a large rectangular door. Barriss felt her heart drop from the small amount of Jedi standing around the holo-projector in the middle of the room, along with Masters Kenobi and Windu only Marikane and Anakin looked up as they entered the room.

Immediately setting his sights on Ahsoka Anakin walked quickly towards his former padawan "Ahsoka thank goodness, we were afraid when the blizzard hit you wouldn't be able...are you alright?".

Ahsoka cast a confused look before her gaze shifted downward, a mix of both sadness and fear racing in her head when she realized her hand had instinctively gone to her lightsaber when Anakin approached. "Uh...yeah Skyguy I'm alright, just a bit on edge I guess".

Much as Barriss wanted to step away from the awkward conversation she forced herself to speak, her tone nervous at the answer her question would receive "this isn't everybody right?, it can't be".

"In the docking bay, the young-lings are" Master Yoda said "unfortunately for a number of Jedi I believe sent too late, our warning was".

Anakin stepped forward and leaned against the side of the holo-projector "we can't let their deaths be in vain, we need to do something and we need to do it _now_".

After all Jedi present had formed a small circle around the holo-projector Barriss spoke up "I hate to even say this but there may not be anything we can do, at least not at the moment. To even get close to Palpatine we'd need an army, or at the very least an extremely experienced team of Jedi Masters, with only the nine of us we'd surely be picked out of the sky long before we could reach Corusant".

"What are you suggesting Barriss?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Well simply speaking we have everything here we need to survive, a cave this size has to have a small creek somewhere and there are plenty of animals on Hoth to provide a food source. I think the smartest thing to do right now would be to lay low and train the next generation of Jedi, sooner or later the time will come when our numbers are strong enough to plan an actual assault on the Sith Lord".

"I'm not sure about that miss Offee" Master Dilrhan stated objectively "at the time of the attack we only had five young-lings in training, and by the time they're strong enough to fight some of us older Jedi may not be in the best of health to be waging a war".

Barriss shrugged the objection away "then we continue to wait, three of us present are woman after all, if it comes down to it more force sensitive children can be conceived. I hate to think of the galaxy suffering while we squat in a cave but if we attack now and fail, the galaxy may _never_ recover from whatever Palpatine has planned".

Although Barriss couldn't help but smirk when Marikane shifted a few inches closer to Shaak Ti the small moment was killed when Anakin slammed his fist down on the holo-projector "I can't believe we're even debating this!, Palpatine needs to be taken care of _now_!".

Ahsoka tried her best to keep her voice calm "Skyguy if we rush into this we only raise our chances of making a mistake, Palpatine will get what he deserves but we...we just have to careful about our next step".

Obi-Wan nodded "Ahsoka's right Anakin, we attack now and risk letting the galaxy down just as we did in trusting Palpatine. We need time to plan what may very well be Corusant's first planetary invasion, Barriss' plan gives us that time".

Anakin laughed dryly before turning to Barriss "oh right I'm sorry Barriss what was your plan again?, we just sit around and fuck while Palpatine rips the galaxy apart looking for us!. What about the millions of people who will no doubt die under a Siths leadership?, every second we spend just standing here more innocent people will pay the price for our mistakes!".

Barriss took a deep breath as she met Anakin's intense stare, summoning all the strength to raise her voice to her former Master. "I understand your reasoning but simply put Anakin we attack now and not only do we die but we leave the galaxy in darkness with no one left to save it!, I don't like this anymore than you but...". A shrill silence filled the room as Barriss stopped herself mid sentence, sharing the same look with all other Jedi around her when a force presence not from anyone in the room made itself known. Marikane hit a few buttons on the holo-projector to bring up an image of a large Republic Cruiser nearing their base.

Before anyone could question the image it was swiftly replaced by one that brought one extremely small sliver of hope to their situation, bowing to all present Master Kota let a sly grin cross his lips. "Would someone kindly open the loading bay doors?, I'd like to participate in this discussion".

^0^0^0^

A few minutes after the Eclipse had successfully docked into the hidden base the group of Jedi met with Master Kota on the ships bridge, all once again crowding around a holo-projector as Master Kota was first to speak. "I won't dwell on facts we all already know, or make some speech about the darkness of our situation, the Eclipse was refueling at a base on Geonosis when the order was issued to the clones. We were taken completely by surprise and I lost a lot of good men to make it here, but the ones that did survive are pissed off and ready for a fight. Now even with my militia we have a slim chance in hell of restoring peace to the galaxy, but the Jedi have pulled off some impossible feats in the past, I say we add one more to the list".

A series of nods from the Jedi around was followed by Master Yoda speaking up for the first time since the conversation had started "keep the clone army busy, your militia can?".

"With all due respect Master, they can do a lot more than that".

Master Yoda nodded solemnly "then possible, an assault may be. But plan such an attack with the utmost care, we must. Put in danger, many innocent lives will be".

"I'm sure you wouldn't start the planning without _me_ Master Yoda" a soft voice turning all heads in the room Barriss felt her heart leap when Luminara stepped onto the bridge.

Master Kota squinted his eyes as Luminara found a place in the circle of Jedi "funny Master Unduli, I seem to remember telling you to stay in the med bay until your injuries had been properly treated".

"Yes I believe you did Master Kota" Luminara agreed, her tone making it clear she wished to drop the subject. "Now I couldn't help but overhear some of the conversation, if we're really considering attacking Corusant's capital head on something needs to be done to warn the people of our attack".

"One of us could take the twilight" Ahsoka added "it's stealth systems should be enough to at least get close to the Capital, from their they could gain control of Corusant's broadcasting systems and warn the people seconds before our attack. We may not be able to save everyone from the crossfire but it's better than going in guns blazing and taking down half the planet along with Palpatine".

Master Kota rubbed his chin thoughtfully "that _could_ work, Barriss, Ahsoka, I assume you're volunteering for this task?".

Barriss met Ahsoka's eyes for a moment_ 'I don't think it would a good idea for you to go with me Ahsoka, if the future you were shown can still happen you have to be by Anakin's side when he faces Palpatine'_.

_'I know, are you certain you can override Corusant's broadcasting system without me?'._

_'I'll be fine, don't worry'_ quickly realizing the awkward pause their silent conversation had caused on the bridge Barriss promptly cleared her throat to regain the other Jedi's attention. "I'll send the message to the people of Corusant, with the stakes high as they are it'd be foolish for both of us to go. As long as me and Ahsoka aren't apart for too long our meld shouldn't prove troublesome".

Rather than question the decision Master Kota nodded in approval "well if Ahsoka's aiding in the attack she'll need some proper battlefield attire, Ahsoka if you'll come with me we'll get you fitted for a set of militia armor, it should provide you with both more protection and the freedom of movement your species desires". When Ahsoka answered with a light bow Kota spoke up again "the rest of us will meet up later to plan the specifics of the assault, till then there's plenty that needs to be done in order for this attack to stand a chance, lets get to work".

^0^0^0^

By the time Barriss finally stepped out of the Jedi's hidden temple the sunlight shining in through the cracks in the caves ceiling had been replaced with moonlight. Looking around the grass field she quickly spotted Ahsoka's form towards the back of the cave, as she stepped closer several Tauntauns, some standing motionless while others laid oddly curled up on the grass, also became visible. Ahsoka laid on her back in the grass with her head rested comfortably on the Tauntaun curled up behind her, if the animal knew she was there the blank stare of it's eyes didn't seem to mind it. Barriss heard herself laugh for the first in a long time "these creatures certainly are docile".

Ahsoka smiled warmly at the comment "the force meld seems to make us really good with animals, I'm just glad I don't have to worry about one of these guys swallowing me whole in my sleep". As Barriss laid down beside her Ahsoka wrapped an arm around her friends waist "so...do you want to talk about James?, I have to say if it were me in your position I'm not sure I could have taken his life".

Barriss gently rubbed the hand gripping her waist "James made his choice, he died paying for his mistakes. I've made peace with what had to be done, frankly I think we have something else that requires discussion". At a blank look from Ahsoka Barriss continued "if Anakin isn't strong enough to push passed Palpatine's influence, he'll have to be dealt with before he turns completely".

A short silence filled the cave before Ahsoka sighed reluctantly "I'm hoping it won't come to that, but I've seen Anakin do some things in the past that could of easily gotten him stripped from the order, if it comes down to either Anakin's life or the safety of the galaxy, I'll do what I have to".

At the last of Ahsoka's words the tone of her friends voice brought tears to Barriss' eyes, with a soft smile she leaned in and lightly kissed the girls cheek. "Ahsoka, I hate seeing you like this, you deserve to have so much more than this".

"What are you saying Barriss?".

When she was sure she would hesitate Barriss instead felt the next mix of words flow naturally from her lips "After all this is done with, once Palpatine is dead and balance has finally been brought to the force, if a life outside the Jedi Order is _truly_ what you want...then it's what I want too". Ahsoka simply smiled as she leaned her head against Barriss', both girls closing their eyes and letting the rise and fall of the animals stomach behind them will them to sleep.

^0^0^0^

_**The Following Morning**_

Barriss walked into the loading bay to find it filled with activity, militia soldiers moved around every square inch of the large room as they worked tirelessly to prep the rows of X and Y-wing fighters lined in front of the Eclipse. At the very front of the loading bay she found the idle twilight awaiting her along with someone she had hoped she'd have the chance to talk to before the day had officially begun. Unable to fight back a small grin Barriss moved to stand beside Master Unduli "Master...if today doesn't go as planned, well I just wanted to say how much I appreciated all the advice you'd given me over the years, it's what made me the Jedi I am today".

Luminara slowly nodded, her gaze fixed on the ship ahead of her. "I see you chose to wear Master Sira's robes, thank you".

"No thank you Master, it's an honor that you'd give me the robes of someone who touched your life so profoundly. It she meant half as much to you as Ahsoka does to me, I can't even imagine what it must have been like to lose her".

"I didn't lose her" Luminara stated simply "one of the perks of being a Jedi, you never truly lose those you care about. I can sense her presence every second of my life, it's faint, but it's there". Sharing one final bow with her former padawan Luminara walked away from the twilight and headed towards the loading ramp of the Eclipse. Barriss stood alone at the twilight for a few minutes before another presence approached from behind her, turning to face Ahsoka she took a quick step back to study the girls new outfit. In place of her usual Jedi outfit a dark blue sleeveless shirt and tight black pants covered Ahsoka's body, complete with the same black gloves and combat boots of Kota's militia.

But it was the black helmet over Ahsoka's lekku that really caught her eye, the helmet had apparently been designed to perfectly cover all three of the girls lekku, leaving only the black tips of her montrals unprotected. The two girls stood in silence, both unsure of what to say for what could very well be their last time together. Finally breaking the silence Barriss took Ahsoka's hands in her own "should one of us say we have a bad feeling about this?".

Ahsoka laughed dryly "I think that goes without saying this time" another long silence followed before Ahsoka lunged forward and wrapped her friend in a tight hug "I love you. Whatever happens, I want you to remember that".

It took the self control Barriss had to pushed the young Togruta lightly away from her "I love you too". Barriss turned away from her friend quickly as she could, knowing full well any more time staring into her eyes and she'd never be able to leave. Without looking back she walked into the twilight and pressed the button to raise the loading ramp, a stream of tears slowly forming in her eyes as Ahsoka's presence drifted further and further away.

^0^0^0^

Expertly piloting the twilight out of Hoths atmosphere Barriss made the jump to light speed and sat back in the pilots chair as an endless blue and black tunnel filled the view ahead of her. With nothing else to pass the time she focused intently on the mixed beeping of several consoles around her, slowly closing her eyes and trying her best to focus on the small speck of Ahsoka's presence she could still feel. "Your thoughts betray you young one, a Jedi needs to stay focused on the mission at hand" Barriss almost fell off her chair at the strange voice, only pulling herself together long enough to look at the seat across from her and finish her plummet to the metal floor. A Pantoran female that looked to be around her age sat in the twilight's co-pilot seat, wearing the exact same outfit as Barriss as she rested her boots on the ships front console.

Barriss rubbed her eyes as the picture Master Unduli had shown her back on Corusant flashed in her head "Master Sira!, but your _dead_!".

Master Sira faked offense at her words, placing two gloved fingers on her pulse before shrugging the thought away. "Now sweetie how many times do you have to hear the Jedi code before it hits home?, there is no death, there is the force. But I didn't come here to discuss the logistics of the code with you, or did I?, why am I here again?".

Well aware of the paleness on her face Barriss struggled to her feet "what did you mean by my thoughts betray me?".

Pretty much ignoring her question Master Sira snapped her fingers "that's it, sweetie I've come to talk about your relationship with...oh wait...damn I never was good with names, just give me a hint I can get it".

"Ahsoka?".

Once again Sira snapped her fingers "good hint, yes _Ahsoka_. Pretty name by the way, means _grace _in Togruta...or something like that, but that's beside the point right now. Sweetie I've been keeping an eye on you for a while now and I gotta say, you remind me a lot of myself, and not just because you stole my look, which by the way you _completely_ pull off".

Fighting the knot in her stomach Barriss sat back down in her chair "well thank you Master".

"It _wasn't_ a complement, well the last part was, but not the part about you being like me. Look sweetie it's great you found love but if you don't find a way to balance your relationship with Ahsoka with your life as a Jedi Knight you're gonna end up like me. You wanna know what I was thinking about the last moments of my life, Luminara. God some days I don't think a second went by where I wasn't thinking about her, the feeling of her breath hitting my neck, the chill she could send through me just from the slightest touch, any of this sounding familiar?".

"But you loved Master Unduli didn't you?" Barriss asked.

"Oh _absolutely_, and don't get me wrong sweetie I could spend a thousand lifetimes thinking about her, in fact I plan to. But a Jedi simply can't do that, I'm not saying you can't have the life you want with Ahsoka but unless you can find a way to keep your feelings for her separate from the Jedi side of you, well our next conversation may be sooner than you want it to be".

Barriss was silent for a moment as she took in Sira's words "if what happened to you...if it hadn't happened, what would you and Luminara have done?".

A small smile crossed Sira's lips as she looked out the ships front view port "that's a good question miss Offee, one I'm not sure I'll ever have the answer to. I know I love Luminara, and I would have done anything to make sure the rest of my life was spent with her. But if you really want my advice sweetie I'm afraid I can't give it to you, you and Ahsoka are the only two who can make this decision. All I can say is when the time comes, look into her eyes, you'll make the right choice". Barriss looked to the floor for a second, only to find Master Sira gone when she looked back up, sighing to herself as she silently went back to work on the ships controls.

^0^0^0^

Corusant filled the twilight's front view port as the ship lurched out of light speed, soaring as fast as it could go into the planets atmosphere and reaching the planets capital in only a few minutes. Barriss pulled back on the controls when she spotted her target in the distance, a large skyscraper housing a circle of giant satellites on its roof. The twilight came to a sudden stop half way up the building, resting lightly on a small helipad as its loading ramp opened. After a few deep breaths Barriss stepped down the loading ramp and made her way quickly across the helipad, pulling her golden hood over her head as she opened the door into the building with a wave of her hand.

Inside was a nothing but a mix of dimly lit hallways, some offering no light to guide her way. She walked through the halls in a low crouch for several minutes before finally finding an elevator, at the sound of voices slowly approaching her direction she made a mad dash for the open doors and pressed the image for the top floor. As the elevator started its ascent a small beep from her com-link forced her hand to her mouth "Ahsoka, that you?".

Instead of the voice she'd grown to crave hearing Master Kota answered her "not quite young one, the Eclipse will be in position for the assault in a few minutes, have you sent the warning to Corusant's people yet?".

"I'm on my way to the broadcasting systems override terminal as we speak Master, I'll have the message sent and be ready to rendezvous with the rest of you by the time you begin the assault".

"I know you won't let us down Barriss, and don't worry I'll keep a close eye on Ahsoka for you, Kota out". Barriss switched her com-link off as the elevator doors opened to reveal a room with a long terminal stretching across it's back wall. Running over to the terminal Barriss immediately messed with the series of buttons and switches she'd memorized on the flight to Corusant, a sigh of relief escaping her when the red flashing lights on all sides of the room turned bright green. Only a moment to think of what exactly she would say and Barriss opened her mouth, every word being transmitted to every screen, holo-projector, and transmitting device on Corusant's capital.

"People of Corusant, the Jedi Order has not betrayed you, everything you've heard over the past few days has been a lie, a lie told to you by nothing less than a Sith Lord, one so strong in the force he's been able to hide his true identity from all of us for years. Chancellor Palpatine has betrayed us all, but the Jedi plan to take back our home and free you from his oppression, I beg every citizen of Corusant to barred yourselves inside your homes, your liberation is at hand!".

The very second Barriss stopped talking the wall in front of her erupted into a violent explosion, one that sent her flying back across the room and slammed her into the elevator doors. The wind knocked from her lungs Barriss struggled to regain her blurred vision, shaking herself back to her feet just in time to see a Republic gunship aiming it's twin turrets at her through the newly formed hole in the wall. Without much of a plan Barriss took off towards the gunship, a strong force jump sending her through the blown out wall and onto the ships flat top. The gunship veered away from the broadcasting building as Barriss ignited both her paired sabers, almost losing her balance when the gunship dove straight down in an attempt to knock her off.

With some from the force to keep her feet sturdy Barriss moved to the ships cockpit and plunged both her sabers through the glass and into the clone trooper piloting the ship. A quick check to make sure the street the ship would hit was empty and Barriss leapt upward with landed safely on a nearby rooftop, a loud explosion sounding behind her as the gunship turned into a pile of rubble. Her victory was short lived however, a look to the horizon she quickly counted over ten gunships blazing through the crystal blue sky towards her direction. Barriss tightened her grip on her sabers as the ships drew closer "I hope the people of Corusant listen to our warning, because this is gonna leave a mark".

^0^0^0^

Master Kota stood alone in front of row after row of militia soldiers, the army of men and woman took up more than half of the Eclipses docking bay. Clearing his throat for all to go silent Master Kota glance to the small group of Jedi standing off to the side before speaking. "The Jedi Order stands before you today, broken, a shadow of its former self. Those of us left are nothing more than remnants, the few spared from what was supposed to be a mass extinction. Since its formation the Jedi Order has fought to keep peace throughout the galaxy, but a few days ago we failed in that mission, and we can't fix our mistake alone. So I ask all of you not as a Jedi, but as a man, a man willing to fight and die for the freedom of the galaxy, will you help us?".

Kota's response came in the form of wild cheering from the crowd of militia, a response that brought a thin smile to the lips of every Jedi present. As the cheering slowly died down Kota spoke once again "This so called 'Emperor' has heralded _your_ Republic the first Galactic Empire, I think it's time he learned that with every Empire, a Rebellion will rise up to overthrow it!".

The militia once again began to cheer while Ahsoka silently walked up and stood beside her former Master "Master Kota certainly knows how to inspire confidence in his men, even on a mission half of them may not walk away from".

"All they have to do is keep the clones busy" Anakin added in a distant tone "once Palpatine is dead the clones will have no choice but to surrender".

Ahsoka stood in silence with Anakin, both watching the militia break apart and head to their designated posts for several minutes. Finally finding the courage to speak Ahsoka cleared her throat "Skyguy, I know you're worried about her, I am too, but just for now you have to push those thoughts from your mind".

Even when Ahsoka stepped in front of him Anakin refused to meet her eyes "I don't know what you're talking about Snips".

"Yes you do, Anakin Padme' has been like a mother to me, and I promise you we'll do everything in our power to keep her safe. If Palpatine knew about you two there's no doubt she'll end up in the middle of this, just promise me that when the time comes your priorities will be in the right place, a Jedi can't risk a thousand lives to save one".

Anakin clenched his fists "my priorities are right where they should be, now I don't know how you found about us but just this once Ahsoka don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong, and never lecture me again". Before she could reply Anakin stormed off across the docking bay, never even bothering to look back as Master Kota joined the rest of the Jedi alongside a nearby Y-wing, a quick nod telling Ahsoka to join them.

Ahsoka took a spot between Masters Kenobi and Windu before Kota spoke up "looking at this realistically the Eclipse is scrap metal the moment we come out of hyperspace, I've ordered every member of my militia to launch an all out assault on the cruisers no doubt covering the airspace above Corusant. They'll keep the bulk of the Empire's forces busy and cover our descent into the capital, with any luck Palpatine's overconfidence in his own abilities will stop him from fleeing until we get there".

"See this is why I always stick close to you Jedi" Marikane said from the back of the group "a planetary assault on the most populated planet in the galaxy, this is gonna be insane".

Master Dilrhan rolled his eyes at Marikane's comment "this entire plan is insane unless Barriss gets our message out in time, have we received word from her yet?".

"No" Master Kenobi sighed wearily "but Ahsoka is still standing here with us so we know she's still alive, we'll just have to put our faith in miss Offee and launch the attack regardless of her confirmation".

Ahsoka sat down on the floor, her legs crossed before anyone could question what she was doing. _'Barriss, our attack will begin any second now, have you sent the message to Corusant's people?'_.

It took a moment but Barriss' voice eventually echoed through her mind, it's sound faint thanks to the great distance still between them. _'Yes Ahsoka, tell the other Jedi to watch their approach with the utmost caution, the clones have set up anti-aircraft guns all over the Senate district. I've managed to take out a few, indirectly, some help would be much appreciated sweetie, it's basically a war zone in the waiting down here'_.

_'You're armies on the way'_ Ahsoka thought comfortingly, a small smile gracing her lips that must of seemed strange to the Jedi surrounding her. _'But Barriss I think we need to rethink our strategy. I can sense Anakin's fear for Padme', I'm afraid he's going to do something drastic, if you can make it to her apartment do you think you can keep her safe?'_.

_'I'll make sure she's safe, I promise you Ahsoka your visions will not become a reality'_.

Ahsoka rose to her feet, her heart beat much more controlled that it had been only seconds ago. "Our message has been sent" she said to the Jedi eying her curiously. "But it seems Sidious knows of our attack, he had defenses set up all over the Senate district".

"Well we knew we'd lose the element of surprise after our message was sent" Obi-Wan said. "We've come too far to turn back now, defenses or no we must insure Anakin makes it to Sidious, the prophecy will be fulfilled today".

Ahsoka had to turn away from her fellow Jedi at the last of Obi-Wan's words, it hurt to constantly lie to her friends, to let them believe in a prophecy that may very well mean death for most of them. Although either way Master Kenobi was right, the chosen one would face his destiny on this day, but it has yet to be said exactly what that destiny is. She had seen the fire in Anakin's eyes, a clear sign of his new found hatred for Emperor Sidious, nothing good ever came from that look. As the other Jedi split off into groups and made way for their fighters Ahsoka started across the docking bay towards her former Master, one hand ever ready on her lightsaber, she knew what may have to be done to bring balance to the force, and she would not hesitate if that situation presented itself.

^0^0^0^

Barriss ran up what seemed to be endless flight of stairs to reach Padme's apartment, the already tired Jedi taking a moment to catch her breath before opening the door with a wave of her hand. She stepped inside the apartment to find Padme' seemingly froze in position at the small circular verandah jutting out from the rooms side, dressed in a pure white outfit with her gaze stone set on the still smoking remains of the Jedi temple in the distance. Barriss took a few steps inside before clearing her throat, Padme' turned to her with a jolt of surprise, two streams of tears running down her face. "Barriss!".

Padme' rushed forward and wrapped the girl in a tight hug, unable to hide the shakiness from her voice as she spoke through the tears. "The temples been burning for days, please tell me Anakin and Ahsoka are okay?".

"They're fine" Barriss assured her with an uncomfortable pat on the back, pushing the Senator away as lightly as she could. "We're launching an attack to take down Palpatine, he's a Sith Lord Padme', and somehow he knows about you and Anakin, I've come to take you somewhere safe but we have to leave now".

It took Padme' a split second to regain her composure, with a quick look around the room she wiped the tears from her eyes and grabbed her pistol from the side of the room. "Lead the way".

Barriss took a single step towards the door when a strong force convulsion overtook her, she grabbed her main saber from her waist and ignited its green blade as the door to the apartment was blown into pieces. Their rifles at the ready several clone troopers stormed into the room, the last instantly recognizable in his white and gold armor.

His blasters sights stone set on Barriss' head Commander Cody readied his finger on the trigger. "Drop your weapons!, the Emperor has demanded both of you be brought to him alive".

Barriss gave a cautious look to Padme', afterwords nodding and dropping both her sabers to the floor. "All right Commander, you win, we surrender".

All blasters in the room shifted to Padme, the Senator kept her grip tight on her pistol. "Barriss, are you sure about this?".

"Trust me Senator, I always have a plan".

^0^0^0^

The Eclipse lurched out of hyperspace just within Corusant's atmosphere, blocked from the planet by an immense group of Republic star destroyers. Laser fire loomed over half the planet as the Republic ships opened fire and piece by piece the Eclipse began to tear apart from a series of small explosions. Inside the ships docking bay soldiers both militia and Jedi ran to their ships, all following Kota's booming call to abandon ship. It took Ahsoka a moment to find her former Master in all the confusion, Anakin was already climbing into the pilots seat of a Y-wing bomber with R2 settled into the ships controls.

A small force jump sent Ahsoka into the ships gunner seat, with a quick check to insure the helmet over her lekku was fastened she pulled the bubble dome down over herself. Anakin did the same in the pilots seat, punching a few buttons on the console in front of him and sending the Y-wing hovering into the air. Along with dozens of other fighters their Y-wing soared out of the docking bay, barely making it out into space as the Eclipse was reduced to rubble behind them. The fighters containing militia immediately went to work pursuing the first target they could find, while Anakin's Y-wing and a number of Jedi star fighters broke off from the group and headed straight towards the Republic's star destroyers.

Ahsoka fired off a few shots from her turret, a vain attempt to save the lives of several militia. "Master Kota your men are getting slaughtered!, they're outnumber twenty to one!".

"My men are aware of the risk Ahsoka" Kota's said bleakly from his Jedi fighter. "But their fight is up here, ours rests down below".

Still Ahsoka continued to fire at any ship she could get in her sights. "We can't just leave them here!, they won't last five minutes without someone to guide them!".

"This plan isn't ideal Ahsoka, but there's no turning back now" Obi-Wan admitted, his eerily calm voice ringing in her montrals. "Once we have Palpatine in custody we can order the clones to surrender, it's the only chance we have to save these men from their fate, militia and clone alike".

Ahsoka eased her finger off the turrets trigger. "Alright, but we have to hurry".

From his seat in the pilots chair Anakin diverted most of the ships power into its engines. "Relax Snips, this is where the fun begins". Ahsoka was forced deep into the back of her seat as their Y-wing blazed a trail through the star destroyers on both sides of them, with only a few Republic ships trailing after them the Jedi ships broke through Corusant's atmosphere and met the skyscraper landscape of the planets capital. As their ships neared the Senate building half the Jedi broke off from the group and slowed their ships down near the buildings main entrance, all jumping from their ships and soaring several feet to the ground below.

Ahsoka hit the ground alongside her former Master, Masters Yoda and Obi-Wan landing a split second later, leaving Master Luminara last to land with a soft thud from her boots. As the rest of Jedi flew by overhead Kota spoke into his headset for all to hear "looks like we got some company on the way, we'll keep the skies on our side and meet up with you when the coast is clear, may the force be with you".

"And with you Master" Ahsoka said as she watched the ships disappear in the distance. She then turned her attention to the large open space between them and the Senate building, nothing but a paved walkway lined on both sides with several tall sculptures of long dead Chancellors. It was with a small grin that Ahsoka remembered running across this very walkway in her race with Barriss, the day they had first kissed on the roof of the same building that now housed the greatest threat in the universe. That night would stay with her forever, as would this night she was sure, albeit for entirely different reasons.

Luminara's voice snapped her back into reality. "I don't like this, surely Palpatine knows of our arrival, yet there's not one clone between us and the main entrance".

Master Yoda nodded "want to stop our entrance, Palpatine does not. A trap this is".

"A trap we have no choice but to walk into" Obi-Wan added.

Anakin eyes narrowed on the buildings entrance, taking the first steps forward to have the other Jedi follow. "Whatever Palpatine has planned, we can take it, I'm not letting anything stop me from taking him down".

The group of Jedi stepped into the main entrance, a large two floored room with two sets of steps leading to the upper floor, to have the door slam down behind them. Each Jedi activated their respective sabers as a battalion of clone troopers sprouted from the upper floor, forming a half square around the Jedi as their blasters aimed down at them. Obi-Wan took a single step forward "lay down your arms, our quarrel is not with you".

Obi-Wan's answer came in the form of a barrage of laser fire, inch by the inch the group of Jedi fell back behind the columns close to the doors. When they all were behind cover Anakin grinned to his former Master "well it was worth a try, is there any way around this room?".

With a quick peak around his column Obi-Wan shook his head "only one hall that leads out of here, and it's on the second floor".

"Well we have to do something" Ahsoka said "these clones advance and we're done for, and these columns won't hold forever".

Master Yoda promptly deactivated his saber, strapping it back to his belt as a small force jump sent him onto Ahsoka's back. "Draw their fire, the rest of you must. Deal with the clones, we will". One hand on the young Togruta's shoulder Master Yoda held on as Ahsoka dashed out of cover, ducking her way through the laser blasts and turning to face the right side of the room. In one swift leap she landed on the rooms second floor, an entire row of clones turning their attention to her as they rest continued to fire down below.

Ahsoka crossed both her sabers in front of her, doing her best to block the laser bolts that threatened to pierce her skull. "Alright Master, I'd never question one of your plans, but what are we doing exactly?".

"Need to die, these men do not. In close you must get me, blank their minds, at least for the moment, I can".

"You got it Master" against all her instincts Ahsoka deactivated her main saber and charged the nearest clone, as soon as Yoda was within reach he stretched out his arm. The second his palm rested against the clones helmet the clones body went entirely stiff, his blaster fell helplessly to the floor, the rest of his body soon to follow.

Ahsoka continued down the row of clones, dodging an everlasting stream of lasers as Master Yoda took the clones out one by one, finally nearing the last clone standing Ahsoka felt Yoda leap from her back. Yoda soared through the air as Ahsoka hit the ground on her back, sliding along the laminate floor directly between the clones legs, one slash from her secondary saber cutting the clones blaster in two. Simultaneously Master Yoda landed palm first on the clones forehead, a small grunt escaping the elder Jedi as he pushed off the falling clones head and landed on Ahsoka's back just when the girl stood back to her feet.

The room cleared the other Jedi joined Yoda and Ahsoka by the hall leading deeper into the building, as Master Yoda jumped down off her back a thought entered Ahsoka's mind. "I can't sense Barriss".

Luminara raised an eyebrow as they started down the hall. "Are you certain young one?, a meld as strong as the one you share with Barriss, you two should be able to feel each others presence on opposite ends of the galaxy".

After a moment of silence to confirm her suspicions Ahsoka nodded. "I'm certain Master, I know she's not dead but...it's like she's disappeared from the force entirely".

"There's only one being strong enough to block her presence from the force" Anakin said through an intense glare. "We need to pick up the pace, Palpatine will not claim the lives of any more Jedi".

The rest of the group had to sprint to keep with Anakin, making their way through many hallways and up several flights of steps before finally reaching the hallway that led to Palpatine's office. The brightly lit hall was almost welcoming in it's silence, and forced the pores on Ahsoka's neck to stand on end when she laid sight on the door that was their destination. "There's no telling what surprises Palpatine has in store for us, I really hate walking into one trap after another".

"Like all Sith, Palpatine's overconfidence in his abilities will be his downfall" Obi-Wan said thoughtfully. "Allowing all of us to walk in without so much as a fight to wear us down is a foolhardy move".

Stopping the group of Jedi in their tracks two small portals of pure force energy appeared in front of them, stepping out from the portals were beings that at first were composed head to toe of force energy, quickly materializing into a solid form that forced the Jedi to all ignite their sabers. Clad in a bright red armor that spanned every last inch of their bodies the two beings each pulled a double bladed saber from their waists and together brought four blood red sabers to life".

Anakin crossed his saber in front of him. "You had to say something old man".

"Whatever these things are, they're strong in the dark side" Ahsoka said.

Anakin's eyes flared with hatred as he took a step forward "I don't care what they are, if they choose to stand between me and Palpatine they _will_ die". With a wide upward slash Anakin engaged one of the Sith warriors, when the attack was easily blocked Anakin jumped back and sent the Sith in the air with a strong force push. Anakin, along with Masters Kenobi and Yoda ran down the hall in pursuit of the Sith, leaving Ahsoka and Luminara with the one still standing still as a stone in front of them.

Well aware of the fight raging at the other end of the hall Ahsoka moved in close and attempted to breach the Sith's defenses, only succeeding in allowing herself wide open for an attack, a swift kick of the Sith's metal boot knocked the wind from her lungs and sent her to the floor. Before she could get back to her feet Luminara stepped over her and moved to attack the Sith, the Jedi Master expertly pounded the Sith's defenses with a series of swings, but as time went on Luminara's strength began to dwindle, while the Sith warrior never missed a beat in his defense.

When Ahsoka finally found the strength to pull herself back to her feet a ferocious upward swing from Luminara managed to break the Sith's defense, cutting the warrior's blade in two and pushing her blue blade directly into its chest. The look on the Sith's face was unreadable under his helmet, but when a regular mans body would of went limp the Sith instead started to step back slowly, only stopping when Luminara's blade had been completely removed from his chest.

Ahsoka tried to run forward, but she wasn't fast enough, all she could was watch as the Sith used the moment of surprise to cut Luminara's saber in half at the hilt, afterwords plunging both his cut sabers into the woman's chest. "Master!, NO!". One small leap to get in close and Ahsoka swiped at the Sith's legs directly at the knee, separating the warrior into two she then cut at his neck before his body could hit the floor.

The Sith warrior dissipated into nothing as Ahsoka deactivated her sabers and fell to her knees beside Luminara's body. Tears forming in her eyes Ahsoka ran her hand over Luminara's cheek, taking little solace that her skin was still warm to the touch. Although Luminara's eyes were distant the Jedi Master did manage a weak smile when Ahsoka wrapped her hand in her own. "Don't cry my child" she managed through painful coughs "after all these years of waiting...I finally get to see her again"

Anakin ran up beside Ahsoka as Luminara's body slowly fading into nothing, only leaving her robes behind to flutter lightly against the floor. Masters Kenobi and Yoda ran up last, a long moment of silence taking place between the four Jedi before Ahsoka rose to her feet, both fists clenched. "Lets finish this".

Walking beside her former Master with every step Ahsoka opened the door into Palpatine's office with a wave of her hand, taking one step to the side to allow Anakin entrance. Obi-Wan and Yoda trailing behind the two walked inside Palpatine's large office to find the Sith Lord sitting quietly at his desk. Anakin took the first steps into the middle of the room and ignited his saber, pointing the very edge of the blue blade directly towards Palpatine. "Your Empire will be a short lived one Palpatine, it's over".

From under his hood a wicked grin spread across Palpatine's lips. "I seem to have underestimated your power Anakin, as with you young-ling, but even Jedi as strong as you two are no match for me, not without the power of the dark side". His grin growing across his face Palpatine pressed a button on his desk, with a loud whir the wall beside him receding into the floor, pushing forward another wall that housed to struggling forms in iron clad restraints that bound their hands and feet.

"Padme'!" Anakin screamed.

"Barriss!" Ahsoka screamed.

Both girls outfits were torn in several places, and numerous marks and scars marked their bodies. Barriss had her head held low, her eyes clothes and an unreadable expression on her face, while Padme' had a more obvious look of both fear and anger on hers.

Palpatine rose from his desk and walked slowly over to the wall. "You both care deeply for these women, I can sense your fear of losing them, I can make it so that never has to happen. Bow down, swear loyalty to me and I can teach how to keep the people you love alive for all eternity. Refuse, and they die!". With the last of his words Palpatine stretched out both his arms, two deadly arcs of force lightning encompassing Barriss and Padme'.

"NO!" his voice coarse with rage Anakin ran into the streams of lightning, raising both his hands and absorbing the energy into his palms. When Palpatine stopped his attack Anakin sent the energy back to him, the Sith Lord fell to his knees as the energy made the hood fall from his head. By the time the energy was gone Palpatine's face was a shadow it's former self, the mans skin now a shade of pure grey.

Anakin ignited his own saber once again and pulled Palpatine's saber to his hand, crossing the blades on both sides of the Sith's neck. Palpatine looked up to Anakin with a fierce stare "yes!, do it!, strike me down now and your journey to the dark side will be complete!".

Two unactivated hilts in her hands Ahsoka stepped cautiously towards Anakin. "Don't do it Skyguy, this is exactly what he wants, his plan from the beginning of the clone wars was to turn you to the dark side, don't let him win".

Anakin's eyes narrowed on the man below him. "He deserves to die for what he's done and he's too powerful to take as a prisoner, there's only way to ensure no more die by his hand".

Ahsoka started to activate her main saber, stopping just short of the action. "Please Anakin, I'm begging you, if you kill him..." with one long breath Ahsoka activated her saber "then you'll be forced to kill me too".

For a splint second Anakin looked away from Palpatine, meeting Ahsoka's eyes with his own before deactivating both sabers in his hands. "I could never hurt you Snips".

Palpatine was back on his feet before anyone could blink, two arcs of electricity sending both Anakin and Ahsoka to the floor screaming in pain. Masters Kenobi and Yoda rushed forward only to have Palpatine turn his attention to them, electricity shot across the room from the Sith's fingertips and slowed the Jedi Masters to a crawl. With Anakin and Ahsoka both trying to pull through the pain no one in the room noticed as Barriss opened her eyes for the first time in hours.

The restraints holding her against the wall faded in a bright blue energy, Barriss stepped lightly down to the floor and called Ahsoka''s main saber into her hand. With one quiet move she pressed the sabers hilt against Palpatine's back and ignited the blade. All in the room went quiet when the air was ripped from Palpatine's lungs, his eyes widening in a look of absolute shock as Barriss deactivated the saber and took a few steps back.

Palpatine stumbled into the middle of the room and fell face first onto the floor, Obi-Wan and Yoda rushed towards him while Barriss helped Anakin and Ahsoka to her feet. Still limping from the pain Anakin cut Padme' down and laid the unconscious woman on the floor, Barriss knelt down beside him and looked over Padme'. "She must of passed out from the pain but she'll be fine, all three heart beats inside her are staying strong".

Anakin's eyes widened at her comment, but only for a second, nodding his thanks he stood back up and walked over to stand over Palpatine's body, the Sith Lord was still breathing sporadically. At a shared look with Obi-Wan the Jedi Master handed Anakin his lightsaber. "Put your hatred aside Anakin, and do what must be done". Anakin took the hilt with a small nod, the look of anger finally leaving his eyes after all these years, at last the chosen one would bring balance to the force.

^0^0^0^

_**Epilogue- Padme' Skywalker's apartment**_

Anakin had his arm firmly around his wife's waist as Padme' smiled to the form of Bail Organa on the holo-pad she held in her hand. "I'm glad to hear things have finally settled down, I know you've had your hands full ever since the death of Chancellor Palpatine, hopefully when I return in a few months it will be to the Senate as it should be".

Bail smiled "be careful what you wish for Padme', anyway I won't keep you any longer, I'm sure you and Skywalker have plenty to keep you busy without me bugging you".

"You got that right, we'll take later...Chancellor Organa". Padme' smiled as she lowered the holo-pad and turned to face Anakin, the two getting within inches of a kiss when a faint crying stopped the moment dead.

Wearing his usual grin Anakin stepped away from his wife and headed towards the door leading to Luke and Leia's room. "I'll get it this time, but you owe me one".

Barriss and Ahsoka listened to the scene unfold from the apartments verandah, wrapped tightly in each others arms as they looked out to the Jedi temple in the distance. All the stress of the past few weeks seemed to melt away in the moment, informing James' mother of his passing, all the hearings it took to convince the Senate their invasion of Corusant was the right thing to do, even being pulled out of bed at three in the morning when Padme' had gone into labor. None of those things were even on Barriss' mind right now, right now all she was focused on was the feeling of Ahsoka in her arms.

Her smile wide Barriss tightened her grip on Ahsoka's waist. "So, do you still want to leave the Order?".

It took Ahsoka a moment to answer. "I'm not sure, is it what you want?".

Taking advice from a very old friend Barriss turned, looking into Ahsoka's crystal clear blue eyes as she had so many times before. "Ahsoka, life as Jedi is certainly not the safest in the galaxy, and the thought of you seconds away from death every single day tears my heart in two".

Ahsoka looked to the floor "I see".

Her fingers lightly grazing Ahsoka's chin Barriss rose the young Togruta's eyes to meet her own. "But dangerous as it is, it's the life we are destined to live. All I have to do is look into your eyes Ahsoka, it's that simple, you're a Jedi same as me, and will be all your life".

A short silence followed before Ahsoka took a single step back "well then, I guess there's only one thing left to do". Ahsoka fell to one knee just as Anakin walked back into the living room, the Jedi Knights smile wide as could be as he stood in silence beside Padme'. Ahsoka pulled the ring out of her pocket and placed it on her palm, it's golden design shining from the sunlight. "We've been through so much Barriss, and still it's not enough, I won't you by me every second of every day. Barriss Offee, will you marry me?".

Even with all her training Barriss couldn't hide the shocked expression from her face, just looking at Ahsoka's kneeling form was enough to send her heart pounding against her chest. Time slowed to a crawl between them as a wide smile spread on Barriss' lips, her answer couldn't have come easily enough.

**The End**


End file.
